


The Pirates' Gambit

by Jibbypuff



Series: The Captains' Log [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Depression, Don't copy to another site, F/F, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Loss, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pirates, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Timeline Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 175,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22368358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jibbypuff/pseuds/Jibbypuff
Summary: We set The Plan™ in motion to fix everything and save everyone.  Well, almost. Some things can’t be fixed. It'll take our whole crew, a First Mate, a shit load of science and a lot of...fucking math!
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: The Captains' Log [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1644313
Comments: 84
Kudos: 66





	1. The End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my first published story. I will set no expectations to you the readers regarding updates and additional chapters. I'm doing this on my own time and it is, shall we say, rather fluid at this point. If we stick together, we'll get there in the end. I'd like to thank [Blackadder261](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackadder261/pseuds/Blackadder261),LazyLazer, [Thanks_for_the_letters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thanks_for_the_letters/pseuds/Thanks_for_the_letters), [escherlat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/escherlat/pseuds/escherlat), and dozens of other authors for being the catalysts. Without their stories I may never have attempted this. Also big hand and shout-out to [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) for encouragement, pre-reading, concept advice and beta participation. Hope you enjoy, and please feel free to send feedback--just keep it clean and we'll get along just fine.

" _Time flows like a river and we are but leaves floating on the surface…_ "

\--JRR

**January 2 nd, 2018**

She finally arrived; it had been a long drive, but this detour was as necessary as the conference she recently attended.

‘ _Fuuuuuuck! Who schedules a conference on New Year’s Day?_ ’ She thought that a week ago, and it still seemed proper now--maybe with a few more creative words thrown in for laughs.

The symposium had been a drag; nothing but old guys with hardly any hair. They had spouted their theories and conclusions and the audience excitedly ate it up. ' _Of course, they did,'_ she pondered. _'They're all old bald guys too.'_ She had felt out of place, but she always had at those kinds of events. It seemed every couple of months she would have to drop everything and go someplace and have a meeting of her peers. 

"Peers… Riiiiiggghhhtttt…" She said out loud with a smirk. She was used to talking with herself; it was so much better conversation. “Oh, if they only knew…”

She leaned the seat back and just closed her eyes and thought about some of the things that have come to pass. The trip to UC Berkley had been pretty uneventful. She had driven down after getting a mandatory invitation, ' _summons would better describe it._ ' But such was her life right now, a perpetual student, and a doctoral candidate; though at such a young age that was definitely not a plus. The topic was about the fabric of spacetime, and she had been studying this subject for as long as she could remember. She had her reasons, though she hadn’t been ignorant about the matter prior to her ‘official curriculum.’ The old guys had droned on and on about quantum effects, parallel universes--the multiverse as it were--and how String Theory unified everything including apparently the kitchen sink. 

"Shit! I can't believe one of those fuckers used that as the opening joke," she reflected, remembering it had been mildly amusing; wrong, but amusing. Throughout, she’d mostly just sat there in the lecture hall, back against the furthest wall nearest the door where her biggest accomplishment had been to reach the next round in a sciencey bio-plague phone game. She smirked a bit. That had been more amusing.

She had never once imagined her education to be, well… this; physics, engineering, and almost everything in between. ‘ _Okay probably Chemistry. Well, I don’t need that where I’m headed now do I?’_ A small smile showed up on her face. It had been surprisingly easy, or at least easier than she initially expected. ' _That's what happens when you know something is possible, you just gotta figure out why and how_ ' she thought, and then contemplated for a bit more about the true nature of the word ‘ _easy_ _’_ \--the smile faded. ' _Ok, not the math! Never the fucking math._ ' She used to, in what seemed a previous life, love math. ‘ _What a noob…_ ’ which was a term a far cry from her more ‘colorful’ vocabulary. Of course, her whole outward behavior and look was just a role, just for appearances. That’s how you played the game. No one would have ever approved admission into the graduate programs… for a punk.

"Right now, I go where they send me." She said to no one in particular, breaking out of the funk she had been entering—and wasn’t that the fucking truth. They say go and that was the end of it, but at least it kept her funded. It was all part of The Plan.

She could have flown to the conference, in fact that was the easiest way and definitely less time consuming. ‘ _Heh!, time…_ ’ Yet, the return trip required this stop anyway, and it would have been hell to fly in and then bus or Uber from Portland. So, with some of her extra grant money she had rented a car and drove the 14 hours to the conference on New Year’s Eve, stopping only for rest stops and to charge the car. The trip back, well at least as far as to her current location, was equally uneventful. Both drives had given her lots of time to think but without the luxury of sleep, caffeine solved that little problem.

"Pretty cool car." She remembered saying the same thing earlier. "I really ought to get one of these someday…" her mind wandered as she sat there in the driver’s seat. "Yeah, when I'm not a starving student…" Another smirk.

"Wonder if things will be different this time?" She thought about this a bit. If things were different that meant more work, but also a new phase in her project to start. If, on the other hand, everything stayed like they had been, then it was back to the drawing board. Such was science and it couldn’t be helped. She’d figure it out eventually. She’d just need more time.

"…Time…Yeah…That…" 

‘ _Remember why I’m doing this…_ ’

Closing the door, she looked towards her destination. The entrance was gated with a large stone arch and fence protecting the area within. It was a place of memories, respect… and of loss. It was something she'd repeated every year give or take a couple of days, though it didn't get any easier--it probably never would. She moved to the back and opened the trunk to retrieve a rough wool blanket and an equipment case. January after all, while there's no snow on the ground, it’s not warm that's for sure; no use freezing her ass off while she waited. 

With her packages gathered she closed the lid of the trunk and turned back towards the path leading to the stone portal. Sure, it was gated and locked, but she'd taken care of that a long time ago--it was just a padlock, nothing serious. Approaching the gate illuminated by the lone streetlight overhead she put down the case and reached into her pockets for her keys. She hadn't forgotten them. "Yeah, not like the first time. Damn it was lucky I was so much closer back then or I wouldn’t be here today." Placing the key into the lock she looked around. Trespassing is still a crime; one she’d done in the past; though nowadays she could probably talk her way out of it. <click> The lock hadn't been changed even to this day. Why would it? Nothing really changes around here. She swung the gate open, stepped in and closed and locked it behind her. Turning to the interior of the open place she sighed and took it all in.

"Welcome back…" she said, some tension forcing its way into her voice. "You think by now I'd be used to this fucking shit, but nooooooooo." 

It had taken years to calm the more aggressive part of who she was. ‘ _Calm really wasn’t the right word,_ she thought, but she’d been through a lot so it would have to do. Places like this, however, brought it all back, and she really didn’t have time to get distracted. She needed to stay focused instead of letting her past-self seep through too much. She took her first step down the path to the destination she knew well. She reminded herself, for maybe the hundredth time, that she was here for a purpose, one that she had committed herself to doing a long time ago. A path she had decided upon, just like the one in front of her. 

"This is only part of The Plan… Just part of The Plan," she reminded herself for the 101st and 102nd times. ‘ _Who’s keeping count, right?'_

"One step at a time…" came the quiet reply to herself as she continued down the path; her stomach twisted.

Welcome back to Arcadia Bay Cemetery. Fuuuuuuuuckkkk….

* * *

‘ _This is really unreal,_ ’ she thought while walking amongst the gravesites. It had always been this way. Memories collided with her actions and goals while the sun moved downward. The way the shadows were lengthening lent an almost sinister atmosphere to what was supposed to be a comfortable final resting place for the occupants. There were no other sounds; it was quiet except for her own inner thoughts and feelings and soft crunching of gravel beneath her boots. Even to this day, after all these years, it amazed her how this place, and more specifically the dead people within, got to her. It wasn’t like she was religious or anything. Fuck, if she were to put it that way, she’d say she’d believe in almost anything given what she knew and had learned. Of the occupants, two stood out as having the most profound impact on her then younger self.

“Because I have a plan…” …103, just saying.

After a few minutes she found herself in front of a specific headstone. This was her first destination and it was of critical importance that she did things correctly. Carefully, so as not to disturb the site, she laid down the case, spread a blanket, and sat down. She had a couple of minutes to prepare and just get her mind on track, so she leaned back and just observed the scene in front of her. The headstone had been maintained. It was clean, still shiny, and spotless. Fresh flowers had been placed in the urn. It was like someone had known she was coming, and it had been this way ever since she started her little project. She had a good idea who was maintaining the gravesite and smiled to herself knowing that person still cared to this day. Reminiscing, she could clearly remember a time which she herself had thought otherwise. In this specific case she had been wrong; clearly. But, then again, she’d been wrong about so many different things. 

She looked at the marker and read the inscription and the tears started to fall. After all these years she still had a hole in her heart that had not been filled. She let the tears fall and silently contemplated that day and all the shit that followed; and to be honest, the shit hadn’t stopped. Right now, all she needed to remember is that she had been told to stay strong that day; by someone she trusted. And so, she had eventually learned to deal with the shit and stay focused on the results she wanted to achieve. The long game.

After a while she squeezed her eyes shut, wiped them with the back of the jacket’s sleeve she wore; a parka style weatherproof one she had picked up somewhere in Seattle, a place which she called ‘home’ for the moment. It was a good jacket, not at all like what she used to wear just a couple of years back; in fact, quite the opposite. However, with what she routinely had to do, and where she had to be, having a different look was essential. Even here, especially here, being recognized in this place could throw off years of ass-kicking work, so the jacket suited her needs. Still, she wished she’d brought a hat; January, remember? Her phone pinged and she reached into a pocket to glance at the notification. 10 minutes to go. “Okay, let’s get the ball rolling” she said while canceling the alarm. She started a countdown timer to oversee the final timing. Kneeling on the blanket she opened the case which contained a laptop, some portable lights, and a boxy shaped device with some cable attachments.

She booted the laptop and connected the sensor to its side, untangling the rat’s nest that was about 5m of connector in the process. “…next time I’ll design it with Bluetooth…” she chided herself; After all, like she said she’d done it to herself. While she waited for her computer to finish booting, she reached into her bag for her camera, then got up and positioned the light around the back of the headstone. This was the same camera she’d gotten when she had started. A new memory card was the only difference—one for each year she had returned here—keep the variables to a minimum. What applied to the camera equally applied to the place--the headstone specifically; a constant. A thing that didn’t change. Ever.

Leaning over to see the front, she double verified what she already knew, and shivered when she read the engraved date of death.

September 28th, 2008, a little over ten years ago. ‘ _The day everything began._ ’ Her body tensed up again and she fought back more tears.

She let out another sigh and took some deep breaths which fogged in the chill air as dusk turned to night. The lighting in place, she looked closely at the back of the headstone to find another inscription, not engraved but in weatherproof marker. The marks she’d left and had seen last year remained, though worn, they were clearly readable. She got out her camera, made sure the location and date setting feature were on, positioned herself to capture the inscriptions, and took the picture; a ‘before’ picture as it were. Then as she had done each other time, she added to the top of the list, and snapped another photo. About 15 seconds later her phone pinged her that the countdown had completed. She started it over for the last time.

“Game time,” she said, and her mind wandered again… ‘ _Game…ha!_ ’ she thought, then chuckled a little. “Shit! This would have been a seriously messed up video game, who would even buy this crap? Now let’s see if all the blood and tears and _fucking math_ paid off!” It never got old saying that. “Fucking math!” she said it again, at least it raised her spirits. She went back to her laptop and opened up her research program and jotted some notes into her journal. Date, time, temperature, pressure, time of sunset, the positions of a few key stars in the sky, all the shit that everyone expected from the field. She hit record on the app and measurements started scrolling across the screen. It was too fast to read, but that was okay, she’d have plenty of time to analyze the data. She’d have one of the interns do it for her, but this wasn’t something she wanted others to even know about. After all, this was a side project of hers ‘ _…not grant approved…_ ’ and her actual motivation in pursuing her various degrees, very much unlike other projects her sponsors required. Then she attached the sensor to the back of the headstone and made sure the cable and package didn’t obscure the inscription or otherwise interfere with the site. She looked at the words again from top to bottom…

2018

2017 ◗◖

2016 ◢◤

2015 ◤

The inscriptions, aside from the most recent, each had a symbol next to them. It was something she had thought of to ensure the record was both unique and genuine—something not easily forged ‘ _…like who could really know what’s in this fucking head?_ ’ Her phone pinged her back into the present once again as it started the final countdown from 10 seconds…

9… 8…7…

She watched the dates carefully

6… 5…4…3…2…1…

Her phone pinged again but she ignored it. Even though she knew this was all being recorded she wanted to see it with her own eyes. She watched as the markings changed, lines added to the list of dates and symbols. The change was neither fast, nor slow. ‘ _There’s definitely a time component to it._ ’ she observed all the while experiencing a weird sense of déjà vu. The inscription changed…

2018 🕗 Z + 10

~~2018~~

2017 ◤◢ Z + 9

~~2017 ◗◖~~

2016 ◘◘ Z + 8

~~2016 ◢◤~~

2015 ◙◗ Z + 7

~~2015 ◤~~

2013 💀🦋 Z + 5

2008 💔‼ Z

A sense of calm surrounded her as she looked at the list, and then looked again. She had waited 3 years for this piece of the puzzle, and it looked she had it! She got out her camera and took another picture and jotted down some of her more intangible observations. Now she had all the parts she needed from this place. Sure, she had a lot of work to do up North, but like she had learned before, as long as you knew it could be done, that was more than half the battle. She’d have to get back to Seattle for the final piece, but this had been the next step in her project; going from knowledge and theories to active experiments and execution. 

She looked at the grave again and remembered who was here; under the headstone--not like she’d forgotten. She knew that it couldn’t be helped… Not now. But maybe someday? She didn’t know.

‘ _After all, no one can tell the future._ ’ And that was _the_ concept that kicked off the whole thing. She had, in a roundabout sort of way, bet everything on it.

She shook her head. “Wow! I sure as shit have grown up! This is some heavy stuff!” she said, as she started coiling the cable and placing everything back where it belonged. 

“Heh! I even clean up my own… <room>.” she paused. ‘ _Where did that come from? …Haven’t thought about that in a while…_ ’

Refocusing, she quickly finished getting everything in order and grabbed her pack, case, and blanket. It was getting late and she still had a drive to complete. As she was leaving back down the path she paused and turned to another very familiar headstone; her last place to visit. Her previous excitement disappeared immediately, and tears started rolling. This was always the hardest part. She knew what had happened to her. Oh God she knew! Even today it hurt so bad knowing that something like this could happen in the world. To _her_ … ‘ _Who does this???_ ’

Rachel Dawn Amber

July 22, 1994

Daughter and Friend

Taken from us April 22, 2013

She lived her life like the brightest flame

May her light shine through all of us forever

“Hey…Rach.” She said quietly. 

What disappointed her the most was that there were some things, some events The Plan couldn’t fix. She had known it was a possibility from the beginning and she’d been working on it since a couple of weeks after Rachel had gone missing. But years of data had supported that some shit just had to happen. These events were, in layman’s terms stationary; fixed and unmovable. It was so much more complicated, and it was hard to put it into words people could understand. Why? Damnit! Why did it have to be Rachel?

Logically, she understood and even accepted it. But that was when she was back in her own place. Here though, knowing did nothing to soothe the crushing loss she felt, and it killed her a little bit every time she came back. She’d spent years dealing with this shit and emotions, but when it came to Rachel it was a whole different shitty, depressing, fucked up level altogether. Kneeling beside the grave, she fished out and grasped her necklace, a familiar one, one that she had with her for a long time. It had a pair of bullets attached with a light leather cord; the missing third having long since been quietly put aside in a special place. Because of what happened to her absent Angel…

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to visit you much in the coming years. The pace is picking up.” She told Rachel. She had always tried to keep Rachel updated; talk to her as if she were really listening. Maybe someday she’d hear a reply…

“I’ve got the data and the results now though. And its…” she paused as her voice caught. “…looking good.” Nothing about this whole mess was good.

“I’ll…I’ll visit when this is all done, yeah?” she said as she tried and failed to compose herself. “I still have to save Max and... the others… but…”

She paused and looked directly at the headstone. “Rach… I can’t save you… I want to so badly… but I don’t know how…” Tear drops marking the way, Chloe Elizabeth Price slowly stood, nodded one last time to Rachel, turned and walked back down the path.

‘ _So messed up…_ ’ she thought as she navigated the path and left the cemetery. Locking the gate once again so everything was as it had been, Chloe got back to the car and kinda just stood there. This visit had been really bad; much worse than any of the past 3 years. But it was all about the data, and her mind kept going back to that very fact. She had trained her mind for years to work with facts and what happened to Rachel was just that. A fact. She thought back to her most recent results and then thought of Rachel again. ‘ _Can’t. Save. Her._ ’ She decided it was a good time to breath and took some deep ones; realizing that the cycle in her mind was starting again; she’d been holding her breath since leaving the cemetery. It helped a little; the swirling mass that was her thoughts moved to the back of her mind. She could still feel it, but she could sorta function.

‘ _Rachel…_ ’ bounced around in her skull. But then ‘ _…Max…_ ’ made an appearance; almost as if Her Max knew Chloe needed a hand. The thoughts merged; creating an equilibrium that let her at least get some respite. ‘ _I can save Max_ ’ that’s why she was here.

“Shit! I so don’t want to drive right now,” she muttered after throwing everything back in the trunk. What she really needed was a smoke. That first long pull would get her sorted out for now, and the rest would briefly keep her company as she hit the road, but she didn’t have any. That had been another tradeoff she’d accepted when she had determined her course. She’d had to focus on learning how to do what needed to be done while also not being the person she really was. 

Finally, she got into the car and cracked open another energy drink, which wasn’t a smoke by a long shot, yet she knew she still needed to stay awake for the final leg of the trip. She knew once she got to I5, the car could do most of the work. With the nav set, Chloe drove down the dark road, heading first for the edge of town and eventually the interstate.

Chloe drove her way out of Arcadia Bay, possibly for the last time in the foreseeable future, and headed for the route that would take her first to Portland, and then eventually home. Seattle was her destination. She had chosen Seattle for its access to the facilities and education she needed as well as to keep an eye on Max. That, too, had been part of The Plan and now with the new data she had, it could move forward. The trees continued to sweep by her on both sides of the road. There was no other traffic, why would there be? It’s not like anyone is going to be out the day after New Year’s Day with all the hangovers and worse probably still destroying peoples’ willingness to get out of bed. Plus, there wasn’t really anything around besides the trees, occasional Forest Service roads, and rare driveways that lead back to homes. Middle of No Fucking Where, Oregon; that’s where she was. She chided herself a bit. She’d need to get back into her more professional persona the closer she got to civilization.

“But damn it! I’m all alone right now, why can’t I just be myself?” She questioned herself out loud, which was much louder than she had intended. This car was spooky quiet.

The sweep of the trees continued along the winding road as Chloe’s mind wandered yet again.

“So be yourself,” the girl beside her said. Chloe knew that voice.

Without looking, Chloe sighed… “I can’t, it’s not part of The Plan.” Chloe knew if she looked, she’d lose it.

“Is The Plan so important?” Rachel asked, leaning over to watch Chloe’s expression.

“It’s everything. It’s the only way to save her…. To save Max.”

Rachel frowned a bit. “But you don’t even really know her now do you? Why does she even matter?”

Chloe sighed, getting defensive; she’d been over this before, and damn it we’re talking about Max. “No Rach, you’re right. I don’t really know her anymore. But she’s the key to everything.”

“So that’s it? She’s the key. Why is she so important? How do you even know?” Rachel paused, her aggravation growing.

Chloe kept her eyes on the road. “Its… complicated.” The silence was so loud it was deafening. Here it comes…

Rachel’s expression softened; she really hadn’t meant to start an argument. “…So much that you still can’t save me?” and there it was.

Chloe looked over at Her Angel. She’d grown as much as Chloe had but her features were still instantly recognizable. Her Rachel; still long blonde hair, perfect hazel eyes, perfect… well perfect everything. The only item missing was her signature feather earring. It too had been placed safely away. Chloe’s eyes welled as her anguish grew.

“Rach… you know why I can’t. It just doesn’t work that way.” The volume of her voice grew as she admitted her own failure. She could save everyone. Max, Arcadia Bay, everyone. Except Rachel. Never her; Chloe didn’t believe in the no-win scenario, yet she had failed to figure it out.

Concern in those flawless eyes, Rachel leaned into Chloe’s shoulder bringing a bit of calm to her otherwise stricken friend.

“Sorry,” she said quietly. “I know, really… I know it’s not something you can control.” Rachel thought a moment. Then perked up, a bit of enthusiasm in her voice. “So… let’s try something else. What have you done? Is there anything new?”

Chloe leaned her head against Rachel’s. “Well, the experiment seems to be a success. It looks like we can change what happens in time streams. I won’t know for sure until I get back home.”

Rachel thought about this for a moment. “And how does that help us?”

“It means that we can send messages down to earlier in time. It means we can communicate with our earlier selves.”

“So texting, yeah? Texting through time? Chloe, that’s genius!”

“It is, or… uhm, it’s not really that simple, but at least that’s what the data says. There’s still a lot of work to do.”

“How does this help with our plan?”

“Well, if we can talk to our earlier selves, we can correct problems…” Chloe hesitated; shit…

“…Like me dying?” there it was for the second time.

“Rach… you know that I …”

“Sorry. No really, I am… It’s just…”

Chloe tried again to find the words. “…Rach… I miss you so much.”

“Chloe… I shouldn’t have said that.” Rachel thought for a moment. “I do wish I could change what I did… and make it better… to be with you away from The Bay… But it’s not what I meant. Chloe…?”

“…Yeah?”

“Chloe… you really need to watch the road…”

Chloe’s attention snapped back to reality as the on ramp to the interstate approached and she had somehow drifted, just as her mind had, onto the oncoming lane. Luckily there still was no traffic, so she quickly corrected and turned the corner; maybe just a bit too fast, but the car held on. Rounding the bend and merging with that same lack of traffic, a thought crossed Chloe’s mind. ‘ _I wonder where I would have ended up if she hadn’t said anything?_ ’ The car took care of the rest of the drive to Seattle.

After what to Chloe’s tired mind seemed like hours, no, really it had been hours in fact – Chloe pulled up next to the shabby looking but decent enough low-rise apartment building where she rented. It was very early in the morning so no one was about, even the buses were done for the day, and thus she could park street side with little trouble and walk across. The caffeine in her system had finally given up the battle so it took her some minutes to grab the gear and tote it up the first flight of stairs. 

Tired but happy it wasn’t six flights, she arrived at the end of the hallway to a stout, darkly painted door. ‘ _Door… Home..._ ’ she thought, as she somehow managed to unlock the entrance. She dragged herself into the apartment and with a kick closed the door and literally dropped everything she was carrying. She’d been away for just over three days with about five hours of sleep. To Chloe the only thing she could think of was sleep, and with just that thought her endurance faded and it became even harder to function. 

‘ _Fuck everything…_ ’

She moved into the only bedroom and fell face first onto the bed. Chloe may have remained awake for all of ten seconds.

* * *

**January 3 rd, 2018**

It was a bright and sunny Wednesday morning. The sun slanted through Chloe’s blinds at just the right angle, well right would have been the correct word if not for the fact that its target really hadn’t wanted to wake up. Chloe stirred and turned away from the laser beam in her eyes; burying her face under the pillows. She seemed to fall back to sleep yet the damage had been done by the incessant brilliance that filled the room. True, it was still too-damn-early-o’clock, but nevertheless Chloe slowly dug herself out of the bed and blearily recognized her surroundings--she was home in her apartment and that, at least, was a good first step for whatever the day would bring. She laid awake not really willing to move, but just to exist; just for a little bit longer. Naturally it was at that moment her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since early yesterday morning; her only other sustenance had been the energy drinks—the cans of which were still rattling around somewhere in the rental’s foot wells. Chloe’s mind started to process. Food meant she had to get up. Getting up meant she had to get out of bed and get all her normal routines completed. 

Never a ‘morning person,’ one plus one failed miserably to get to two, yet Chloe nonetheless extracted herself, became more or less vertical, and proceeded towards the bathroom and a blessedly hot shower; beginning her day. ‘ _One of the best things about this place,'_ she thought as the hot water rained down upon her. She’d gotten lucky enough to get an apartment that had been recently renovated and so had unlimited hot water—a far better situation than back home in Arcadia Bay. There was never a need to rush in the shower--all the hot water she would ever need, and she took advantage of every drop of it; whether it be washing, doing her hair, shaving, or just simply standing there under the scalding streams. Awake now, Chloe finally exited and toweled off, wrapping her hair to dry while going about taking care of her teeth and wandering around her room gathering up the clothes of choice for the day. Since it was only the third day of the new year, school and the facilities were closed so she didn’t have any pressure to dress appropriately—casual was the order of the day. Choosing a simple pair of jeans--normal ones not ripped like she used to enjoy—she looked around for a shirt to wear. It was January, so she decided upon a plain tee covered with a red plaid flannel; simple but warm. Socks and her old boots completed her attire.

Now dressed and somewhat ready for the day, Chloe still had to deal with the pile of gear she’d left at the front door. Opening the case, she placed the sensor package on her desk and the portable light into the corner where it would be out of the way until she could return it to the lab. Her laptop and journal went into her bag; on the chance she’d get some time to go over the initial data, maybe she’d look at it while getting coffee. ‘ _Coffee… and something to eat',_ she thought as she set the next order of business to attend to; which coincided with another stomach growl. She moved towards the small galley kitchen and peered into the fridge and then the surrounding cabinets. She found nothing, well nothing she’d consider remotely edible, and there hadn’t been any coffee either… ‘ _NEED COFFEE…_ ’ it was getting higher on Chloe’s priority list. She decided that she’d have to go get some food elsewhere, so she got her jacket and quickly typed a couple of to-do items onto her phone.

Notes:

  * COFFEE/FOOD
  * Check on Max
  * Return rental
  * Check the data
  * Groceries



With her list completed Chloe left her apartment and headed to the coffee house. The first thing Chloe noticed when she got to the ground level is that the day was crisp but otherwise clear. Being earlier than she normally woke there were only a few people out--most of them were tech-bros in their hipster-ish clothing, all heading down the hilly sidewalks like good little cogs in the machines that were Amazon and the rest of the Pacific Northwest tech industry. She had used to mind the ‘bros when she first moved here; they had all seemed like little duplicates of each other, all with the same mannerisms, clothing, badges, and backpacks. They had been, in her opinion, fake; not genuine but, back then, she’d also had a much darker view of the world in general. What she needed at first had been a model to imitate and so, had used the ‘bros to craft her new persona; thus, Chloe became a ‘bro herself. She had neither the badge, nor the requisite beanie; the former she didn’t need, the later would have been too much of a giveaway—she’d needed to blend in without being recognized; especially by Max. ‘ _Fit in just fine now…_ ’ she thought. 

Having completed her walk, she entered the Starbucks building. This ‘ _bucks_ was larger than most of the others and always had more ‘bros gathered doing whatever it is they did. She liked the place because there was always a chance to find a seat, usually in a corner by a power outlet. By some unwritten code, once the ‘bros noticed a seat was taken by one of their own, the spot would be left alone until the person left. She claimed her usual spot and went to order something at the counter. The menu had an innumerable number of hip foods and, fancy hot and cold drinks. She wasn’t interested in fancy per-se, but she was very hungry so decided to order a breakfast panni-style sandwich and an absurdly huge cup of coffee. She paid and awaited her food while sipping her drink and marveled again at the industrial look of the interior. ‘Bucks employees went about their duties; opened raw bags of beans into bins beneath the floor, checked temperatures and pressures, dried, then roasted the beans, and dealt with customers’ orders. ‘ _All of this to make a cup of coffee… it’s like a science itself._ ’ She took another couple of sips and eventually her food was delivered so she went back to her spot. 

As she ate quietly, she got her laptop and journal out and set them on the table. She plugged the computer into the outlet since she hadn’t remembered to charge it last night; she’d been so tired. The laptop did its thing while Chloe opened her journal and reviewed the first page; something she did every day. This was The Plan, a series of tasks she had set for herself after being convinced it had been needed. It started years ago with a letter she had found in her journal—one she’d never written, but it changed everything:

Hey Chloe,

If you’re reading this – and I’ll never know – you’re in for a shock, but if I know you, and believe me, you and I are more similar than you realize; you’ll get over it. What you need to know right now is listed below; get ready for the ride of your life, literally. Like really seriously I am not shitting you—this is not a God damned fucking drill! Do I have your attention now? Yeah, yeah… I know what you’re thinking, and it begins with the letters W.T.F. so, I want you to consider this, ‘Our pirate ship is sinking, and Long Max Silver is trapped inside.’ Satisfied about who I am? Good. You and I both know what this means. Here’s the thing:

  1. I am you. Chloe Price. But I am also not exactly you. You’ll see what I mean later.
  2. I am neither the only Chloe, nor the first one in this project—and we’re all in this together.
  3. Max is in deep shit and we need to save our best friend and First Mate. I don’t care what your situation is with Max. She left me for Seattle, but even today I’ll always have her back. Get over it.
  4. Time and space are broken, and it all revolves around Max. There’s a lot of ‘ _fucking math_ ’ involved but keep reading.
  5. Keep Max safe always. She has the power and if something happens and she uses it the damage could become critical. And I mean critical as in I'll have to make a whole lifetime's set of new calculations. The additional _fucking math_ headache alone may put me over the edge. So give me a hand and keep her from getting in trouble. Remember it all ties back to Our Max.
  6. You shouldn’t get too close to Max. **Bad Fucking Things** will happen if you do. You’ll learn why. It sucks, believe me—I had finally come to grips with my own feelings for Our Max years ago. What about you? Feeling anything for our little hippie? No? Suuuuurrree you're not... If that makes you sleep better, just keep believing that. Again, I know you so don't kid yourself. Anyway, keep a low profile.
  7. You’re gonna need to get your shit together. If I’m reading this correctly, you’re in a bad spot in your life now. The numbers say something terrible has happened, something unavoidable, but I can’t tell what. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, but bigger things are happening that need your attention. So, grow the fuck up, and do it fast because you have to understand what I know and build on it. That means do anything you can to learn physics, math…all of it. I’m you so I know you can do it and the notes will put you ahead of the game big time.
  8. Tag! You’re it. You get to do the heavy lifting—hell, I can’t even get out of this wheelchair. I’ve done what I can from here, but my time’s running out… Sorry in advance for this too.



Remember Chloe, Max and us all told each other ‘We’ll always be together. Even when we’re apart.’ Well it’s a little further away than Seattle this time, I’d say, but you’ve got all you need. Get ready to raise the flag Captain Bluebeard, we’re going to pull a ‘Pirate’s Bootleg’ to save Our Max and you’re the one steering the ship. We’re all counting on you. One last thing, Captain and this is important. It’s your ship now, but if you figure you can’t find the right safe harbor, pass the flag onward—we’ll get there if our crew sticks together. Now go get her and keep the wind in your sails.

Chloe Elizabeth “Bluebeard” Price

Captain S.S. Arcadia Bay – ret.

July 17th, 2016 (Z + 8)

What followed was pages and pages of equations, timelines, diagrams, and ending with a section labeled Captain’s Log. Chloe had read it all hundreds of times over the years with only the exception of the last set of pages which hadn’t been addressed to Chloe at all. Instead the last section was addressed to ‘Our Max.’

Chloe sat there, sipping her coffee and contemplated what she had read for the umpteen-billionth time. This was ‘the shit’ she had been working to correct since she had found her journal only weeks after Rachel disappeared. It had shaped her into a different person than she’d been beforehand, but she supposed that had been the intent of Chloe’s letter to begin with. Now, she was at the next phase of The Plan; the beginning was over, and she thought perhaps she knew enough that she could steer her ship home. The data would tell her what she needed, but for now she wanted to check on Max, whom she knew was close by—Max was always so predictable—well at least to her. Being Max’s watchdog was like Prime Directive shit, but she never minded. ‘ _She’s still my best friend._ ’ She got up after finishing her morning meal, packed up, and walked back to the order counter, thinking that if she missed Max, at least she could make sure Max was taken care of.

“Hey, can I place an order for a friend? She’s running a bit late.” She asked the girl behind the register.

“Sure, what can I get for her?”

Chloe pre-ordered and paid for the most expensive coffee drink they had and the same breakfast sandwich she had gotten. It would be perfect.

“Put whatever change is left over on her tab, yeah?” She said.

“What name can I put that under?”

“Max Caulfield. And tell her a friend says ‘Hey.’” The girl nodded and jotted down a note.

Chloe hefted her backpack and casually strolled out the door with the rest of the ‘bros.


	2. What Have I Done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has some dark themes including stress, depression and possible suicidal thoughts. If you ever have any of these symptoms, please seek help and/or have an honest conversation with someone. FYI: I am neither a doctor nor a therapist and do not pretend otherwise. I'm just a noob author with personal experience regarding some of these topics.
> 
> That said, thanks in advance for reading! This project is becoming a lot of fun as I move chapters though the pipeline. I'll remind everyone that I do not have a set schedule to release new chapters, but a number of them are in the process. I appreciate all those that took time out of their lives to leave a comment or kudos. For the rest of you, please don't hesitate to be critical or complimentary--just be polite, not too much to ask.
> 
> I'd like to thank [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) and [Aspect11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) for continuing to pre-read, beta, and provide amazing advice and encouragement.

**October 3rd, 2017**   
**Seattle**

Max sat behind the counter doing nothing special. It was like this most days at the camera store where she worked. Handle the customers that come in—that really wasn’t a task; hardly anyone came in to the tiny, very niche camera and photography supply store anymore considering most people used their phones. So, she had a lot of time to think… and it always got her down… always made her feel…

Blue.

Max blinked her own blue eyes while imagining staring right back into the pair of gorgeous blue eyes she missed so much. She could see it in her mind’s eye. Chloe, leaning up against the counter with a smirk on her face. Maybe she was here to get Max out of the store for a while; perhaps go get lunch at one of the various food trucks that parked down the way. Maybe she’d just said something funny. Something completely and utterly…

Chloe.

The hurt in her heart had never gone away after that week. She had survived literal Hell and lost her best friend and soulmate in the process—separated for the rest of eternity. Because she had done what Chloe had asked her to do—the hardest thing Max had ever had to do in her 22 years. Chloe had died in that dirty bathroom almost 4 years ago.

She never knew Max had come back.

She never knew Max’s love for her.

She never knew how hard Max had tried to save her.

…and no one knew why Chloe really died.

Day by day, she died as Chloe had; only a little bit at a time. Maybe someday soon it’ll all catch up to her and she’ll join Chloe. It hadn’t been an uncommon thought…

Max moved around behind the counter; organizing the displays of vintage film cameras. Mostly she just dusted them off, making sure that the zero people that came into the shop saw pristine equipment and maybe, just maybe, they’d buy something. These vintage film cameras, even an exact copy of her own Polaroid, were relics of an age where photography mattered—even to normal people. It used to be that a person had to buy a camera and the correct film for what you were going to photograph, learn how to frame and compose the image and …

"Nope, not using that phrase ever again," she reminded herself.

… captured the scene. "Yeah, that’s better." 

Even after 4 years, Max had never gotten over the…Dark Room, and to everyone else it never happened. She couldn’t talk about it, who would believe her? She stopped for a second, closing the door of the display. ‘Except…Chloe.’ She thought. The only person in the world who would listen and believe her entire fucked up story had been taken away. She had lost her partner in time, and she had only herself to blame. Max’s mind kept repeating this fact over and over…

She had done this.

She. Had. Done. This.

Of course, she’d done as Chloe had asked, no pleaded. Chloe was her Captain and she would trust her with her own life—and even wished she had; maybe things would be different. Her Captain had asked her to let her go, so at the end she had. And it hurt so much.

It. Hurt. So. Much.

Max had spent the remaining time at Blackwell in a haze. She’d go to class and something in the back of her brain listened. She’d take the tests and get average grades—just like she’d always done in the past. After all she wasn’t special; not a genius like Warren. But Max hadn’t had any motivation. None. Her whole motivation was gone…

Forever…

Because Chloe is dead…

WHY CAN’T THIS NIGHTMARE END????! I JUST WANT IT TO END!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

CHLOE IS FUCKING DEAD!!!!

Max stood there in a daze, looking at the entrance to the store. She wished her Captain would just open the door and walk in. She knew her life would be complete if she could just see Chloe’s face and those perfect eyes just one more time. Just once. She would be content knowing her best friend was fine and alive and she’d give anything to have it—except… the one thing she knew she couldn’t. Because Max still had her powers over time and knew she had been the cause of all of this. All of it, including the Chloe-sized hole in her heart. It was her fault, and this was her personal visit to Hell for the rest of time. A waking Hell.

Forever…

Just like Chloe…

The door to the store opened, ringing a bell perched on top. David ‘Dave’ Petersen, the owner, walked back in from lunch. ‘Why is it everything goes back to that time?’ Dave? David? Why? Dave was a friendly sort of person. He was a caring, seemingly easy-going hippie from way back. Dressed in khaki pants, a button-down with a cardigan over top, Dave exemplified casual in almost everything he did. From what Max learned, he was an ex-tech bro’ who just happened to develop a hobby for photography ‘the right way’ as he put it. He had gotten interested in photography because the chemistry of film; he was a chemist by education but had done programming on the side. Apparently, this was back in the early ‘90s and had led to an engaging career, yet he never gave up neither his roots nor interests. If Max thought about it, some of his pictures, which hung on the walls--were really pretty good, indeed she probably could not have improved on them. ‘Not bad even for a fully trained photographer.’ They were that good and were mostly of scenery around the Pacific Northwest, which was, she knew, his home for many years. This was the whole reason ‘Retro-Image’, the camera store, existed—a way for other wayward ‘digital’ picture-takers to become real, as he put it, photographers. Max couldn’t complain. She had a job with someone who had a genuine appreciation for the art of pictures yet, also was relaxed enough to handle her occasional mistakes. 

"Hey Max, gonna go take lunch?"

"Yeah, just finishing up here."

"Well, if you’re looking for something good there’s a new food truck down on Pike. Its Taco Tuesday, right?"

"I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just go find some place to take a few pictures. Not really hungry right now."

"Max?"

"…"

"Max, someday you’re gonna have to tell me what’s going on..."

"…I… I don’t understand. Am I doing a bad job?"

"No, no you’re not. I trust you with the store, no problem. It’s just sometimes you seem… well… I know it’s probably none of my business, but you seem lost…"

…Yeah… lost. "I’m going to go to lunch Dave. Uh… See you in a bit, okay?"

"Sure Max, see you in a bit, kid." He always called her ‘kid.’ Max thought that was sweet, really, in a parental unit kinda way. She knew he had a daughter of his own who was just finishing high school. While she knew her own parents cared to the ends of the Earth for her, it was really nice to see someone else have genuine concern as well. He reminded her of William in a lot of ways.

‘…Chloe.’ She thought as she set the register key on the counter for Dave and exited the store.

The walk down Pike Street was, as usual, steep and in the rainy weather sometimes slick. The small Seattle shop was located several blocks uphill from the shopping district where food trucks and restaurants were located, but the walk Max took each day eased her otherwise tormented mind. She didn’t complain about the exercise either; though that was more because Max really didn’t care one way or another—just going through the motions. Today wasn’t rainy but it wasn’t sunny either, just like her disposition. Kinda meh. Max continued downward past Starbucks Reserve; she really liked that place and the coffee was excellent. There were a lot of Tech Bros’ in the mornings, but by the time lunch rolled around they were all safely at the bottom of the well near Amazon and the rest of the software giants of the area. Apparently, Tech Bros’ hated to walk against the force of gravity unless they couldn’t help it, which meant businesses uphill wouldn't be as crowded. But Max didn’t think today was a ‘Reserve day so continued downward until she found the food cart she wanted. This vendor sold simple street food, hot dogs and sausages mostly. Damn good hot dogs. Max thought the person taking the orders was named Sue or Susan, or something like that; she was a friendly sort, always able to remember her customers and always serving with a smile on her face. When Max stepped up to order, Susan already knew exactly what to do.

"Hey Max, how’s it going? You haven’t been down here for a couple of weeks now. Lookin' for a Seattle Dog?" The vendor had an amazing memory for her customers’ favorites as well. 

"Yeah, that'll be great. Thank you. And I’m fine... Just kinda… you know… wondering where I’m going. How about you?"

The lady nodded as she turned the grilled sausages for Max’s order.

"The business really is starting to boom. I mean you’d think no one has ever had a hot dog before. Sometimes I sell out before lunch is half over."

"I’m happy it’s working out for you," Max said, and she really was. To her, seeing Susan making a successful run at a business made her have a little hope that someday even she herself could make it. Max was sure there was a lot of work involved in the lady’s self-made business; she couldn’t even imagine…

"Here’s your order Max. Go ahead and grab a drink from the cooler and some chips if you want. On the house so to speak."

Max did what she was told, grabbed a Coke but passed on the chips. After a well meant "Thanks. Have a nice day." Max went over to the curb like everyone else and dug into her food. The meal was excellent as usual, and since she’d skipped breakfast it disappeared before she knew it. She watched as the traffic and people moved about the intersection; not really focusing on anything in particular. She just sipped on her Coke and zoned out a bit. A brush on her shoulder snapped her back to reality. Susan had come over and sat down next to her.

"Max, you’ve been coming down here for a while now and doing what I do, I get a sense of how my customers are doing. You know… inside…"

"Uhm… sorry… I… I don’t know what to say."

"Look, Max you don’t have to tell me anything. I’m just a gal making sausages on the side of the street. But I’ll tell you what, whatever it is it’ll get better. Look at me, I dragged myself out of homelessness and started a business. I mean shit Max, if I can do it, whatever it is that’s bugging you, you can get past it."

Max wanted to remain silent, but the Susan was being genuinely nice and seemed to care. It wouldn’t be polite, but to Max it was so hard to give a damn. Max’s breath became shorter and came more quickly as she thought about her troubles.

"Uh… Thanks. It’s just…" she paused. Here came the tears. She knew if they started then it was game over, so Max forced them back. "…so hard."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

More quick breaths as Max’s mind started turning in small circles. She was this close to a full-blown panic attack.

"I… I can’t. Not now." Max concentrated on bottling her feelings up. It was the only way she knew.

"Max… how long?" Susan pressed, careful to keep her voice even and caring. She’d seen the signs before.

"It’ll be 4 years next week."

"Oh… hang on honey…" The vendor went back to her cart and hanged the closed sign on its front. She went back and sat quietly next to Max until the rest of the patrons left the curb. Maybe this time she could get Max to open up, but she had to tread carefully.

"Max, you’ve been this way for 4 years. And you haven’t talked to anyone?"

"No one."

"Why?" It was a simple question, something that any normal person would ask. It was the wrong one to ask of Max. For what seemed like a lifetime, Max’s mind relived the entire devastating series of events, and it ended with a casket. With her Chloe inside.

Max looked at her, tears now freely falling. She could hardly speak, but the truth couldn’t be held back. "Because… I’ll… I… I’ll break the last promise I gave her. I’ll start moving… on…" And then the damn burst… on the side of the road… next to a hot dog stand… Max wrapped her arms around her own legs and buried her head in her knees. Her body shook with the wailing sobs that could not be held back.

"I’ll start to forget…"

"Never! Never FORGET!"

"I CAN’T FORGET HER!"

"I TOLD HER I WOULDN'T FORGET! NEVER!"

"I WILL NOT FORGET HER!"

"SHE’S PART OF ME! OH GOD! AND SHE’S GONE!!!! AND I CAN’T FIX IT!!!"

"WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

As Max’s words dawned on Susan, she wrapped her own arms around Max. Here was a young lady, she thought, that needed help. It was like her own fight out of homelessness—something she had thought was her own problems until someone reached out to her. Susan thought it time to repay the favor forward.

"Is everything okay here Susan?"

Susan looked to her side and realized a Seattle Police officer was kneeling next to her. She’d been so focused on her distraught customer that she’d missed the officer riding up on his bicycle. 

"Oh, hey Pete. Yeah. We’re okay. She’s had a bad…" she thought for a bit, trying to find the right word while considering Max’s privacy. "… time of it lately. I got her."

"You sure? I can call medical… Is it drugs? They can help her."

"No, it’s nothing like that. It’s more… personal. Like, break your heart shit."

"Oh… Alright, I know you Susan so go ahead. But we can’t have people screaming their heads off, right? I still gotta keep the peace. You know how it is…" Susan nodded. Pete really was one of the good ones; an old cop from an old town moved out to the area to do things ‘the right way’ as he put it. The fact that he chose bike-patrol was a credit to the way he did things—be closer to the citizens on his beat instead of hiding in a cruiser all day. Susan knew for sure she’d be in a whole different situation if it hadn’t been for Officer ‘P. The officer moved back to his bike, called in the appropriate information to dispatch and then looked back at the pair still sitting on the curb.

"Just let me know if there’s anything ‘official’ you need. You know where I’ll be." Pete then mounted his bike and pedaled away.

More sobbing brought Susan’s attention back to Max. At least Max had stopped screaming. Her body still jerked and wracked with obvious pain. All that pain. Susan had no idea what the details were, but it was clear Max had lost someone dear to her and she hadn’t let go. What was it Max had said? ‘…last promise to her…’ That would mean Max had been there, in person when it happened--wherever it was. Susan simply could not imagine…and she’s seen some shit for sure.

"Max? Do you think you can get up? I think we need to get you home."

It took Max five minutes just to realize someone was talking to her. She looked over to Susan with puffy red eyes, the small amount of makeup Max did use streaked down her face where the rivers of tears had flowed. "…I…"

Susan waited.

"I need to get back to work."

"Max, listen to me now. You are in no condition to do anything. We’re going to get in my truck and get you home."

"Bu..but I need to…"

"Stop. Now, Max. Just show me where you work, and we’ll go take care of it. It can’t be too far since you walk here. Sound like a plan? Good." Susan countered. She knew from experience the only way to break through the kind of attack Max was having was to be stern and direct; it helped people focus instead of dwell. Max needed focus badly. Susan helped Max stand, grabbed Max’s things and went back to the stand. She never let go of Max’s hand while the locked down the stand and grabbed the cash box. Usually she’d wheel the cart back and hitch it to the back of her pickup, but she knew with Officer ‘P around her livelihood will be here when she got back. Around the corner Susan lead Max to an older Dodge pickup and got her settled in the passenger’s seat.

"We’re going to make a stop at your work. Where do you need to go?"

"…Uh, It’s Retro-Image, just up the hill."

"You work for Dave?" Susan knew everyone around the area, they were after all, her customers. "Shit he’s gonna understand. We’ll just go up there and I’ll pop in and tell him you’re not feeling well. We got you Max. I’ll take care of it." Susan put the pickup in gear and turned the corner heading up the hill towards Max’s workplace. After a number of red lights Susan pulled over in a delivery area a couple of stores down from Retro’.

"Max, I’m just going to be a minute. Are you going to be okay?"

Max, her head leaned on the window, simply nodded. Susan quickly got out of the truck, locked up and made sure the alarm was on. It may not be fair to Max, but the restaurateur wanted to make sure she knew if Max were to bolt. Susan approached and opened the door to the camera store, the bell rang which got Dave’s attention. Susan stood in the doorway keeping one eye on her truck while waving at Dave. "Yo. Dave! Kinda got a problem here."

"Uh, hi Susan. What’s the matter?" Dave moved around the counter and walked towards the door. They both walked outside while Susan still kept her eyes down the street.

"Yeah, its uhm… Max. She’s not feeling well. She like kinda panicked down at the stand. I’m gonna get her home."

"Is she hurt?" Dave’s concern grew.

"No, not physically. But she’s all over the place up here." She pointed to her temple. "Something she’s held onto for a while. Dave, she needs a break badly."

"No, no I get it. Just get her home and call me. Are you going to stay with her?"

"Max shouldn’t be alone right now, but it’s going to be tough for me. Is there something... or someone you can call?"

"Look Susan, the store can close any time. Take her home and get her settled and I’ll swap with you once I get things put away." Dave thought for a second and went back to the counter and wrote something on a slip of paper. Returning and handing the note to Susan, Dave continued. "Here’s Max’s address. And, I can always have Charlie’ look in on her too. Heck, that’s probably the best idea anyway considering her first aid classes. I’ll give her a call and you get Max home." Charlene or ‘Charlie’ was Dave’s daughter and a lifeguard at one of the YMCAs uptown. If she could keep someone calm while saving them from drowning, she’d be good to keep watch over Max. Charlie was a good kid, and she was someone whom Max was familiar with.

"Alright. I’m outta here. I’ll call you from Max’s place just so you know we’re fine."

"Thanks Susan, take care of her and if Max asks, just tell her that the store will still be here when she decides she can come back. If she needs money, well you know me. I’ll probably forget to stop sending her checks anyway. Just tell her not to worry about it."

Susan gave Dave a hug and hurried back to the truck. Unlocking the door, she found Max asleep exactly where she had left her. The panic attack had run its course, something Susan had experience with firsthand. It was always a draining experience. Looking at the address, Susan did some mental orientation and pulled the truck back into traffic. Max’s place was only a couple blocks further up the hill in an older multistory apartment building. It was easy to find and luckily had its own loading area to park in; obviously to help tenants move their stuff in or out. The old building itself matched a number of similar buildings on the block; all made out the same kind of deep dark brown stone that showed a little bit of the history of this area. You didn’t see many of these anymore, most having either been torn or burned down or modernized during the decade long tech boom to match the Bros’ personality and needs. Max’s though was an original and probably 80 to 100 years old. It was in good condition so the owner’s must be doing okay; probably family owned.

Susan reached into Max’s bag and found a wallet, some keys, a couple of pictures, and an old Polaroid camera. She grabbed the keys, and then went around the other side of the truck to carefully extract Max.

"Come on sweetie, let’s get you inside."

Max was little more than a walking noodle at this point and didn’t seem aware of her current surroundings. She held tight to Susan and they each walked into the building. Her apartment was situated on the first floor, protected by a dark mahogany door; an original as well. Number 1007. After unlocking the door, they entered, and Susan carefully closed the door behind them both. Inside is what one would expect from one of the original buildings in the area. Matching the door was rich and well-worn mahogany flooring that moved into the main areas down a short hallway. A short way down on the left, the galley kitchen presented modern stainless appliances backed by white painted cabinetry and millwork. Further down the hallway opened into a moderately sized seating area where an overstuffed couch backed up against the kitchen galley wall while facing a small desk on the opposing wall holding a laptop and an oversized monitor. A keyboard and mouse completed the computer. In the center of the far wall, an old brick fireplace stood, topped with a mantle and a curved alcove above which featured old and peeling nautical-style wallpaper that featured an equally old map of the west coast. The walls were painted simply in an off white with built-in bookshelves matching the floor surrounding a door that must be Max’s bedroom.

"Nice place." Susan said as she adjusted her grip on Max and proceeded to the bedroom. Max was just about asleep in her arms, so she lay her down on the bed, removed Max’s shoes and covered her with a comforter found at the bed’s foot. As Susan turned around, intending to find the phone to call Dave, she noticed the wall opposite Max’s bed. It would be the first thing Max saw each morning. The wall was covered in Polaroid photos, each picture carefully placed and featuring the same person and sometimes Max as well. Farthest from the door seemed to be the oldest of the pictures but the two kids were clearly the same as the more recent ones. Two girls, one taller than the other—one clearly a mini version of Max. Two girls playing like pirates. Two girls learning to ride bikes. The other girl riding a skateboard. Two girls drawing together. The pictures went onward featuring older and older versions of themselves. Was the other one a friend? A sister? Susan didn’t know. As the pictures neared the doorway they spread out like wings forming a gap for one that was missing. Offset from the others and higher up was a final larger picture which wasn’t a Polaroid. It was nearest the door and was of just the taller girl. She had grown up, punked out, been tattooed, and had a head of striking blue hair that matched her eyes. Beneath it was a simple caption, captured on parchment like paper.

## Chloe Elizabeth Price

Taken from all of us October 7, 2013

I will **never** forget you

My Captain

My Chloe

May you find your Safe Harbor

Beside the picture on a peg was a necklace made of thin leather cord. It held three bullets. Susan contemplated the scene and then quietly closed the door behind her as she left the bedroom.

Susan sat down on the couch and thought more about what she’d seen. Max had it rough. While she’d been homeless for over 2 years, this was so much worse. She recognized some of the themes and they matched some of her own very personal losses. She’d lost her Dad in the skies over Iraq and the gap in the pictures reminded her of the "Missing Pilot" formation. It all made sense. Chloe Price had been…no, strike that, still is someone special to Max, and somehow Chloe was gone, as in really gone. Susan reached for the phone beside the couch, typed in Dave’s number…

"Max?"

"No, it’s me. We're here at Max's place and she's asleep."

"Good. I texted Charlie and she’ll be over after school’s out. Can you hang tight there for a couple of hours?" Susan looked at the clock. It was 2:00 pm, so that meant about an hour’s wait plus Charlie’s commute time.

"Yeah, sure. I can do that. Hey, can you call Pete? My phone’s busted so I don’t have his number. I left my cart back at the ‘Center and I don’t need a ticket. Tell him I won’t be able to drag the cart until Charlie gets here." After all, Susan was a businesswoman now and had to abide with her license. Pete was cool, but the rules still had to be followed. It was fair. She had her job, Pete had his. They all got along if they stayed in touch.

"Ok. Can do. Just watch over Max. And thanks Susan!" Dave disconnected.

Susan hung up the phone, turned on Max’s computer and opened Netflix. She needed something to take her mind off things while she waited for Charlie. 

* * *

Sooner that she expected, Susan heard a knock on the door. She paused her show – she’d been catching up with the latest episode of some Netflix original. She hadn’t been really paying attention just sort of zoning out to the sound of the show. She got up and walked over to the door and looked through the peep hole. Charlie stood there waiting. She opened the door.

"Hey Charlie! Thanks for getting here so quickly."

"Susan! Dad said you’d be here. Nice to see you! Uh, what’s going on with Max?" Charlie walked in.

Charlie was, for want of better words, a complete and total teenager of the 21st century. Dressed in skinny jeans without a tear showing, and a simple tee covered in a leather jacket; she was both geek and slightly punk at the same time. She walked in and her boots clomped on the dark floor. Her long light brown hair was tied back in a pony because, if you were to ask her, it was easier to deal with. She was a no-nonsense kind of girl. She set down her backpack on the couch.

"Dad said Max was sick or something…" She repeated. "He asked me to come over. What’s up?"

"Charlie, Max isn’t sick. She’s heartbroken. And she’s been carrying it a really long time."

"Do you think she’d; you know… try something?" Charlie remembered one of her classmates that hadn’t come back to school last semester.

"I don’t know. The way I see it is Max is still back at the day it happened. Whatever it was, it was bad. Really bad."

"What the F’ happened? Max has never been… you know…that… I only know her because Dad has invited her to dinner a couple of times, but we seemed to be able to talk to each other. She’s nice, for an older person…"

"I don’t know, really. I think I understand a little bit, you know because of my Dad. I’ll just say that she’s still holding vigil for someone she lost 4 years ago. She hasn’t let go and it’s killing her inside. A little bit every day. You know, like you see this drama shit at school, right?" Charlie knew this well enough. "Well multiply that by 1000. Today was fucking bad Charlie. But otherwise, it’s not my place to tell."

"Yeah… So, do you, like… You’re not going to leave me here to deal with her… uhm… hurting herself, are you?"

"Hey, no. I wouldn’t do that to you. I think she’s fine now. Max is sleeping and I don’t think she’s going to wake up until morning. Your dad and I want her to be able to have someone she’s familiar with in case she has problems keeping calm. It should be just like life-guarding. You okay staying over? Tell me if you’re not. Be honest."

"Uh, I’m ok. It’s just that I’m not sure what I’m going to do if she… you know. I mean I can patch her up, I’ve even got my kit with me. But after what happened last year at school." Charlie’s voice trailed off.

"Like I said, I think she’s fine. I wouldn’t leave you in a situation you couldn’t handle. She just needs her rest. So, you good? You know, with Max and school and everything?"

"Dad said he’d call me in sick tomorrow, so I’m fine. Got homework to do anyway so it’s not like I’m gonna be bored." Charlie’s eyes rolled a bit at the thought of homework. She truly was going to be bored, but this was for Max. "I can always call Dad if I need anything."

"Ok. Charlie, remember you’re here because Max is more familiar with you than me. Your Dad thinks so too. That’s what panic attacks are like. The more familiar and comfortable the surroundings and people, the less likely Max is to have another. Plus, you have the training to keep her calm without going all hospital and ambulance shit on her."

Charlie thought about this for a moment, she could do this. "Yeah, I got her. I’ll make sure Max has a friend when she wakes up."

Susan walked down the hallway and opened the door. "Alright then, I’m going to head back down to the ‘Center and see if the vultures have picked my cart clean or not. Don’t be a stranger Chal’ come down and get a ‘dog once in a while. And call your Dad if there’s problems--my phone’s busted." 

"Sure, Susan. I’ll see ya’ later." The door closed, and Charlie went about unpacking her backpack to start in on her homework. She’d fix herself something to eat later, or have pizza delivered if Max’ fridge was bare. She sat down on the couch, texted her Dad that she was here, opened her laptop and got on with her history report.

* * *

Morning saw Max still buried in her bed as the sun shone through the still open blinds. The light was enough to rouse her, and Max looked around, not immediately knowing where she was until she saw Chloe’s face past the foot of her bed. She sighed as she remembered yesterday afternoon, her breakdown, and vague memories of Susan driving her home. It was nice, she thought, that people she knew watched over her when she was having… problems. They hadn’t needed to do so and, to be honest, Max wouldn’t have cared if she had woke up in the gutter. But she was home now, and it was morning so she might as well get up. Max got out of bed, but decided she wasn’t in the mood to go to work. She hoped Dave wouldn’t mind and decided to text him as soon as her brain became more functional. She grabbed just a tee shirt and a pair of sweatpants and some random underwear and made her way into the bathroom connected to her room. Looking in the mirror she saw what she expected. Zombie Max stared back with streaked makeup, bloodshot eyes, and hair that looked like something out of the ‘80s. She turned on the shower and let it warm up while she went about brushing her teeth. When the shower got to a little bit below scalding, she entered and stepped under the streams where the heated water slammed into her face and body--she just stood there and let it while the tension in her face, neck, and back started to fade. Max continued in this fashion until she felt the water start turning cold so she decided it was time to wash, she quickly lathered up and rinsed just in time for the water to run completely cold. That was Max’s signal to finish. She turned off the shower quickly and reached an arm out past the curtain for the towel. After drying, brushing, and dressing Max considered her first mission of the morning complete, but she still needed to finish kicking her mind in gear.

‘COFFEEEEEEE!’ The word bounced around her mind and became her next task. Max left the bath and bedrooms, not caring that the clothes she’d been wearing yesterday were strewn around her floor like breadcrumbs leading to the shower. As she opened her door, she glanced at the nearest picture, lightly touched her fingers to her lips and shared the kiss with Chloe. "Morning Chlo." She said quietly and then looked to the door to go find some blessed coffee. ‘Today,’ she resolved, ‘I’m going to have a better day. No breakdowns.’ Her spirits climbed and she forced herself to believe it. 

Out in the main room it was hard to miss that she wasn’t alone. On the couch was a lump of covers and a laptop covering a girl’s face. An arm dangled out from the protective warmth of the blanket. A cell phone with earbuds attached lay on the ground with the earbuds snaking their way past the covers and laptop, presumably still attached to the sleeping girl. Max, who could hear light snoring, moved to the side and peered past the obstructions.

‘Oh, Charlie...?’ Max wasn’t sure why Charlie was here but considering her state of mind yesterday maybe Dave had sent her. ‘I wonder if I should wake her?’ Max glanced at the clock to find it only 6:15am. Usually this was far too early for Max, but for some reason she’d woken and, at the moment, felt almost energized for the first time in ages. However, it was still a school day, and she didn’t want Charlie to get in trouble. Max remembered when she had been 17; not so long ago but it now seemed like a lifetime. The thought of getting up early made her recall another one of those universal rules—don’t wake the teenager. Max decided to give Charlie as much time as possible but then noticed a sticky-note stuck on the lid of the laptop. Written on the it was the word ‘Don’t’ followed by an absurd number of exclamation marks. With a small smile, Max moved into the kitchen and quietly made coffee. There was another note stuck to the coffee maker.

Max, 

Dad said you needed help yesterday and asked me to stay with you. I ordered some pizza and there’s still some left. Oh! Don’t you dare wake me up, Dad’s gonna call me in sick tomorrow. Thanks, hope you’re doing better. 

\--C.

P.S. Ok, wait… if you need something go ahead and wake me up.

A separate note with the circled word PIZZA! was stuck on the refrigerator door.

Max grabbed a plate, a couple of slices of pizza while the coffee brewed. It was a student’s meal for sure, but it was satisfying, nonetheless. As Max ate her pizza in silence she glanced around the main room. She’d liked the comfort and warmth the bare wooden floors and matching shelves provided when she first rented this place. The old fireplace and nautical theme reminded her of better times. She smiled again, the second time today; a new record. She continued her quiet observation of her home while listening to the coffee dripping and the light snores coming from the teen--beams of sunlight wandered across the fireplace. Max rested her troubled mind for the first time in what seemed a lifetime and thought that it really was turning out to be a nice day…

Maybe it had been her current calm; her mind having finally rested. Maybe the light hit the old map above the mantle just right, or a shadow otherwise removed. Her photographer’s eye caught a glint off the inlayed gold leaf that spread out from the map’s coast. Its source was an old, washed-out drawing of a lighthouse that was barely visible. As Max approached and looked more closely, details near the beam’s source became clear. It was a lighthouse perched above a bay. A lone 3 mast sailing ship headed westward. Max stumbled backwards in shock. This was unreal! "How?" She said to herself as she went and grabbed a stool from the kitchen. She climbed up and looked as closely as she could at the ship, its Jolly Roger flying on the main mast. She looked at the writing on the back.

S.S. Arcadia Bay

"This can’t be happening… What does this mean?" Both curious and terrified, she stood there on the stool while her mind reeled with the impossibility what she was seeing. Max’s eyes trailed the dashed line of the ship’s course back to its port, the lowest part of the map. It was even with the mantle and where it joined, she found in a faded and stylized writing an ‘X’ and the words ‘Booty here.’ A curved arrow pointed downward towards the mantle. Given the height of the mantle, Max had never seen it from this angle, but she still wondered how she had missed all of this. The arrow pointed to a small gap between the wall and the mantle and she could see there was something there. Max stepped off the stool and went to her desk for a pencil or something long but thin enough to reach into the gap. She returned with her tool and started fishing around, carefully using the pointed end to poke the item. As she manipulated the object it became clear it was a book, and old one dusty with age. She grabbed it with her free hand and let out a sigh that she hadn’t dropped it back into the slot. Slowly and carefully, as if each step taken could bring disaster, Max walked to her desk and set the book down.

The book was a leather-bound journal it seemed. It had a pair of hooked clasps to keep it closed and the thick cover protected it from the elements. It was adorned with skulls and crossbones. Even the pages were made of thick, uneven paper. Max brushed off the dust and cautiously opened the bindings. The first page she read changed her life.

To Long Max Silver  
First Mate S.S. Arcadia Bay  
From the desk of Chloe "Bluebeard" Price  
Standing Orders

Ahoy! First Mate,

If it’s you reading this Max, then the book has finally found its way to you. There’s a lot of stuff I have to tell you and some of it is going to sound really fucking weird—But I guess you’re already familiar with strange shit. Before I get into the details, I need to convince you this is real. So here goes: The last time we met was early October 2013. We went for a walk on the beach, watched movies in my room. Heh! Bladerunner of course. Then I asked you, my First Mate, to do something I regret to this day. I asked you to let me die while I lay on my bed—it would be like going to sleep. Though I was angry with you at the time, I am grateful that you declined ‘cause I wouldn’t have gotten this far had you chosen otherwise. So, I’m sorry, really. Max, I should never have put you in that position. And thank you for choosing to save my life – from myself. Now you know who I am.

It’s taken a lot of time, work and schooling to get to this point. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it, but the doctors were wrong. While my condition didn’t improve it stabilized enough that I could lead as normal a life as I could. And, since someone like me hasn’t got a lot of things to do, I set about studying and learning. I put my heart into it as much as if it were my only lifeline. Shit! No kidding! I went all Stephan Hawking with science and math—which is how I found out all the stuff I put in this book. Since you’re reading this, that means it finally caught up to you. The experiments I’ve done are very primitive and the fucking math almost killed me. Oh! And I can’t do a lot, not like you and I certainly cannot change the course of history. Max, before I say anything else, I want you to know I don’t blame you for any of this. Your Captain has fallen but I’m still here because of you. Max, I have a plan to fix it. I mean, all of it. But I need your help because I haven’t been able to figure out how to split the streams like you. You’re the key to making The Plan™ work. With our Crew back together we’ll be unstoppable, just like when we were kids, but I need my First Mate. Here’s what’s up:

  1. The time streams you created are dissolving. The exact timing is due to many variables, but entropy is the main one; some streams last long, others are short. My own stream is somewhere in the middle, but it is dissolving as well—that was a big surprise, like big-time big. But we’ve got more important things to solve and we need to focus. Stop, Max… you know I hate it when you cry. No! Don’t try to deny it, I can read you like a book even across space and time. So, stop. Don’t worry about me, I’ve lived each day as if it were my last, and I got to see you again so that’s something, yeah?
  2. I know you have powers Max. The math and experiment results are very clear. No shock to me, you’ve always been My Super Max.
  3. Everything starts on September 28th, 2008. I call it time Z. I don’t know what happened, maybe you do. Also, it doesn’t look like it can be changed, there’s a couple of other time points like that too. 
  4. Your stream seems to be one of two which are more stable, and I think I have an understanding, but it’s only a hypothesis. I need more time to figure it out, but it has to with wherever, uh… I mean whenever… damn this is so complicated to explain… Anyway, which stream you are in becomes stable, like a real time stream according to the universe. But, like I said, there are two streams according to the readings. I dunno, some of this is guess work.
  5. Arcadia Bay was not your fault. I know the storm didn’t come in your stream and why it didn’t—your loop back is obvious to someone who gets what they’re looking at. But Max, it’s still coming, just later and much worse. It already happened here, but luckily Mom, Dad and I were in Portland for more tests on yours truly. We live here now, in Portland. The bay got flattened but you can relax your pretty little head, we’re fine and the insurance paid for everything. Bonus right?
  6. Messages can be sent – well placed is a better word—into other streams. The technique is primitive compared to you, which is why the book took so long to reach you. However, you can contact me—I’ll teach you.
  7. Interference ripples across all the streams causing bad things to happen. I try to be as careful as possible, and no, you’re not the source. I’m still trying to pin it down. Don’t use your powers unless you absolutely need to but be prepared; I may need you to use them on purpose. Read the rest of the journal and you’ll understand. 



So, now you know where we stand. Our ship is battered but still seaworthy and a strong wind is blowing our way. We’re going to adventure and grab as much booty as we can lay on and if we stick together, we’ll get home. Therefore, as your Captain I do hereby recall you, Long Max Silver, to active duty as First Mate. Welcome aboard, and welcome back! Your orders are included below.

Chloe Elizabeth "Bluebeard" Price  
Captain S.S. Arcadia Bay  
October 7th, 2015 (Z + 7)

Inside the book, were pages and pages of what looked like math, but it was far in advance anything Max ever saw. It looked like a completely different language. Diagrams, timetables, and hastily scribbled notes in the margin rounded out the content. It made no sense to Max, but when she gave it more attention, she realized it was written like a text book, a tutorial, or a series of directions to get from point A to point B, like a map of sorts. A photograph and an envelope labeled ‘Orders’ slid out onto the desk, the photo landing face down. Curious, she looked at the back of the picture where she found a simple caption: "Hey Max, I think you already have a good place to put this. You’re going to be using it a lot so keep it safe." The handwriting was Chloe’s. She turned the photo over and saw someone she didn’t think she’d ever see again. There she was, sitting in her wheelchair. Chloe, the one she disabled when she tried to save William, smiled back at her. Chloe’s long strawberry blond hair flowed down one side and past her shoulders. She was seated in a room Max didn’t recognize. It contained shelves upon shelves of books and when Max peered closely most of them were science texts. On one side of the room was an over-sized desk with a laptop of which had herself and Chloe as pirates as the background. She didn’t want to focus too much on the picture since that would put Chloe’s plan in jeopardy. 

Max stood from the desk and walked quietly back to her room. On the wall, a place already existed like it had been intended all this time. She carefully filled the gap with the new picture and closed the wings her other pictures made around it protectively. Max’s heart lifted higher than it had been since that fatal day four years ago. She had purpose again, the nightmare was ending! She looked at Her Chloe beside the door and whispered, "I’m going to fix this Chlo’. Your First Mate is back." With another two-fingered kiss to Chloe, Max headed back to the desk and opened the envelope, within which was a photo of herself folded into a sheet of paper. The picture was dated late April 2013, and on the back, it had a caption ‘Wait until 1/03/2018. You’ll find what you’re looking for.’ The paper listed a series of dates and times with specific instructions. After reading the entire sheet, she came to another final set of instructions written by Chloe. "Hey Max! Please let me know that you got this—I’m watching. Here’s how…" What followed was step by step instructions for using her rewind in a pattern of short and long pulses. Without hesitation, Max raised her arm…


	3. Bad Fucking Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to everyone out there that's having a rough go of it, no matter the reason. As the title describes, sometimes things suck, but eventually it'll get better, especially if you stay focused and turn the bad shit on its head. You're not alone. Been there. Got the trophy. Keep positive and try to do something constructive each day, no matter how small you may think it is.
> 
> Secondly, happy Valentines Day! The first 3 chapters were designed specifically for this day, so I hope you all enjoy it. There's more parts in the pipe but as usual I cannot specifically set release dates, just know the entire work is in progress. Thanks go out to [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) and [Aspect11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) for their continuing support throughout the process as well as a pile of folks over on Discord. I literally could not have done any of this without the help and guidance from all of you.

**August 10 th, 2075 (Z + 67) **

Too-fucking-early-o’clock.

“Ding… Ding… Ding…” The alarm clock was quietly reminding the room’s occupant that its mission was completed. The room was silent for about 5 seconds…

“Beep… Beep… Beep…” Louder now, then silence…

“Screech! Screech! Screech!” The sound was like fingernails on an old-school chalkboard. It was painful to listen to normally, its current volume made it so much worse. More silence filled the room again…

“Get the Fuck Up! I mean it! GET! THE!! FUCK!!! UP!!!! NOW!!!!!!” Chloe’s digitized voice erupted from the speakers.

The alarm continued in this fashion until it served its purpose. The older, greying woman stirred in her chair and opened her eyes sleepily. The alarm repeated as Chloe rubbed her eyes and remembered exactly why this alarm had been turned on. Almost immediately adrenaline coursed through her body, and it was like 5 shots of espresso. “Okay! Okay! I’m up. I’m up.” Chloe fiddled with her wheelchair, upon which she had fallen asleep only a few hours before and positioned herself in front her of her desk and the camera feeds. She nodded her head in a certain way and the alarm went quiet. Using her eyes and head movements still amazed her—she’d had use of both hands for 5 years—Chloe quickly signed in and opened the monitoring program that caused all the ruckus. While it started up on the second screen, young Max and Chloe as pirates looked back from the desktop background. After a few minutes, the tracking application finished booting, connected and synced to the MIT mainframe she used remotely and proceeded to decode a stream of data coming in. These were fluctuations in the fabric of space-time her sensors had detected. Computations were done and a list of dots and dashes appeared on her screen, forming a pattern. With a tap on the keyboard, Chloe activated the final function and the pattern resolved into a set of letters.

‘P I R A T E S F O R E V E R !’ reflected in her still perfect blue eyes. She smiled to herself. It had been only a couple of weeks delay for her but over Z – 60 for the package. Yet for all the time that had passed, it had been received and acknowledged--The Plan™ was a go! “Welcome aboard indeed, First Mate. Welcome home.”

* * *

**January 3 rd, 2018 (Z + 10) **

**Seattle**

Morning began like every other for Max, the sunbeams made their way through the blinds in her apartment and brushed past her inconveniently placed bed into her eyes. She stirred and buried herself in the covers as her mind started kicking into gear. Appointments and work at the studio started filling her schedule. After ten more minutes a huge “sigh” was heard throughout the room as Max started extracting herself to get ready for the day.

As her stomach growled and the thought of coffee joined it, she shed her sleepwear and headed to the shower. The scalding streams beat down on Max as she realized she didn’t have any food in the house so, as she scrubbed, she decided to go out for a change—something different for her otherwise fairly ordinary life. Maybe she’d hit a coffee shop and get one of those self-admitted hipster drinks and some food. ‘ _I mean, coffee is great, but a caramel macchiato sounds really good right now and a big one at that._ ’ Deciding upon her quest for food, Max scrubbed more, shampooed, and did the rest of her morning routine.

She emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel from head to toe and proceeded to hunt down a professional-looking outfit; tailored slacks and a blouse which she hung on the hook of her bedroom door. She had to meet a client today after all. Her clothing wasn’t fancy, but one had to appeal to the customer in order to stay in business. Finding her jacket and some sensible shoes for the day Max grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder and exited apartment 1007.

It was a beautiful day, though a bit on the chilly side. Max headed down the sidewalks in front of her older, but well-kept apartment building heading into the business district looking for something to eat. People of all types were emerging and heading mostly in the same direction which made for easy walking down the hilly streets. As she got to the main thoroughfare she decided to turn left and continue downward. Her usual coffee stop, Victrola, was just across the street but today felt like a Starbucks kinda day. She merged with the rest of the geeks—Max thought they were called techie’s or tech bros’ or something like that. There were an awful lot of them, and they all looked the same, down to the shoes and backpacks slung over one shoulder.

As the crowds got larger, walking got slower, but soon Max stood across the street from Starbucks Reserve. The walk signal switched and, almost as one, the crowd surged forward around people heading in the opposite direction. Finally reaching her destination, Max started pulling open the door. What happened next would have been funny if not for Max’s precarious position as the first to the door. Two groups of tech bros’ collided, one exiting the building, the other attempting to enter; with Max in the middle. As Max tried to dodge around the converging groups, she inadvertently collided with one of the bro’s wearing a long dark blue jacket. As the rest of the crowd merged and parted around the two, she looked up to apologize only to be met by a pair of sapphire eyes.

“Oh! Excuse me.”

The person's eyes widened in surprise and stared back, while their body stiffened and froze on the spot. Time seemed to stand still.

With a hastily offered “Oh shit!” The bro’ quickly recovered, turned their face away, and stepped aside to allow Max to pass.

“Uh… Do I know…” Max never finished her sentence as the bro’ stepped off the curb and into the crosswalk. She turned and watched, still not able to take her eyes off the retreating individual. Seconds later and with a series of loud yells a bicycler seemed to appear out of nowhere speeding downhill and moving clearly too fast. The bike slammed into the group still crossing, missing the blue-jacketed one by inches. Quickly, ‘blue’ stepped past the tangle of bike, pedestrians, and backpacks and hustled their way across the street. Max stood there until the strangely behaving bro’ disappeared around the next corner. Not wanting to get involved with the pile of people picking themselves up off the road, Max turned back and entered the safety of the coffee house.

“Holy fuck!” Chloe leaned back on one of the brick buildings, breathing heavily. She couldn’t believe what just happened. It was Max, right in front of her! She thought about what her journal said regarding meeting Max.

“Bad Fucking Things,” she muttered. Then she pondered the accident she just witnessed and decided she needed to get some distance pretty damn quickly and so decided maybe it was time to return the rental car. ‘ _Gotta get outta here,_ ’ was a thought locked into Chloe’s head. Chloe finished walking through the alleyway, glancing backwards occasionally to make sure Max’s curiosity wasn’t getting the better of her. Did Max recognize her enough to follow?

In fifteen minutes, Chloe finally arrived back at her apartment having not been followed. She crossed the street where the blue rental was parked only to find a citation placed on her windshield. “What the Fuck!” She grumbled and then looked around. “Shit!” It had been so late she hadn’t noticed she was parked just a couple of inches into a loading-only zone. She had to admit, this brought back a lot of, well, colorful memories, and even more descriptive language. “Goddammit! Mother fuckin…!” She grabbed the ticket, crumpled it up, stuffed it into her jacket’s pocket and entered the vehicle. Chloe sat there steaming, thinking the day had gone to shit really damn quickly. ‘ _Bad Fucking Things,_ ’ again rolled across her mind.

After thumping the steering wheel more times than was probably necessary, Chloe turned on the car and pulled out into the growing traffic. Her destination was the airport—which is where all the rental agencies congregated—so once again, she headed back downhill to get onto the highway leading out of Seattle. Her mind wandered again thinking about what other _Bad Fucking Things_ could possibly happen while she slowly worked her way through the busy streets. Chloe should have been paying more attention, especially as she had to pass the Starbucks she’d just visited, but she was deep in thought. Suddenly, the car let out a series of loud beeps and she was thrown forward. The car had engaged it’s automatic emergency brakes and the seatbelt constricted to keep her in place. Chloe’s attention snapped back and noticed she had driven through a red light. Gazing through the windshield, she was met with a frowning freckled face and narrow, angry blue eyes. The girl slammed her hand on the blue hood, presented a mid-digit and then turned and quickly finished crossing the road. Chloe never took her eyes off the road for the remaining portion of the trip.

* * *

“I’m sorry. This is your signature, right?”

“Uh… yeah…” Chloe replied awkwardly to the person behind the rental counter.

“Well, this states you declined the extra insurance on the vehicle when you rented it. That means you’re responsible for all the damage.”

“But I didn’t do it!”

The agent held his ground. “Look, there’s clearly a dent in the front hood. You’re responsible for the damage. That’s what this says...” pointing to the clause in the contract.

Chloe looked again at the dent in the hood which had the characteristic shape of a palm—Max’s palm.

“Fuuuuuuuckkkkkkk!!!! Fine, do you take credit cards?”

“Uhm, no. You have to wait until we get an estimate from the body shop.”

For the second time, “Fuuuuuuuckkkkkkk!!!!” This was going to cut into her existing grant money for sure. The only positive was that the car had been rented for the purpose of going to the conference, she could explain and still keep the rest of the funds.

The rental employee continued. “We already have your contact information. When we get the estimate, we’ll give you a call. If you have insurance, you might want to make a claim.” He rattled off an incident number.

It had taken about 2 hours, but finally Chloe left the rental counter and walked through the airport terminal following the signs to the train that would take her back to Seattle. She needed a drink, like a real one, not just a beer, and she needed one badly. All her past vices and behaviors seemed to start peeking through her created persona. This day was turning out to be pretty messed up.

As she continued her walk, she glanced at one of the in-airport pubs, seriously considering knocking back a few. Shaking her head to get back into character, Chloe decided that it probably wasn’t the most constructive way to deal with current events. Sure, she wouldn’t mind a couple of beers, but that might get her into more trouble than it's worth. ‘ _But shit!_ ’ She thought, ‘ _I almost hit Max!_ ’ Her mind kept coming back to that. What had happened had almost ruined what she knew of The Plan™ and she only had herself to blame.

‘ _What if I had hit her?_ ’

‘ _What if I had killed her!!!!?_ ’

These thoughts kept circling Chloe’s brain as she finally made it through the concourse and onto the platform to await the train.

* * *

**Earlier that morning…**

Max read the small note the Starbucks cashier handed her. On it was just a simple message.

‘A friend says “Hey!” ’

She had been surprised when she walked up to the counter and ordered her caramel macchiato. She gave her name, and the employee had stopped her and grabbed a note from the register. Apparently, someone had paid for her in advance so much so that she had a positive balance that she could use another day. The prepaid order also included a breakfast sandwich. Max wasn’t the kind of person to scoff at free food, but she did wonder who had done it. The message had said the word ‘friend’ but she couldn’t figure out who it was. Certainly, none of the people that she worked with would do this. Not that they were bad people, just not very sociable. They did their work and when done went their own ways, something that Max didn’t mind at all. Her mind went back to a few minutes ago and settled on the bro’ in the blue jacket. There was something about them that poked at her brain. It wasn’t a poke that was painful, more it was… memorable. She’d seen that person before, but she couldn’t remember where or when. It was something about… the… …eyes… Max had seen those eyes and foggy memories tried but failed to help her remember the details. Max tried to concentrate and focus on the question, but the answer eluded her. ‘ _Who was she? Wait? She? Where did that come from?_ ’

Her stomach growled reminding her of the priorities, her curiosity could wait and maybe it would come to her if she didn’t think too hard. Max took her food and drink and found an open seat in the corner. She sat down, sipping on her coffee while opening up the calendar on her phone to go over the day’s appointments. It looked like she only had a single appointment down South for a pre-wedding check of the lighting. Her appointment was at 9:30am and would only take an hour or so. Glancing at the time on her phone, Max decided she had about 10 minutes to eat before heading to the train station just a couple of blocks away. She started her phone’s browser and started reading current news while eating the rest of her breakfast. Finally, after completing her food Max stood up, brushed crumbs off her jacket and headed out the door; she had a train to catch.

Outside, once again the sun beamed brightly, and Max waited at the corner with about a dozen others for the walk signal to light. Traffic was starting to grow as well as the number of people on the sidewalk. It was another typical weekday in Seattle. With a green light Max stepped off the curb, walking the line on the crosswalk. A blue car approached and screeched to a halt just as she was halfway across. After swallowing her heart that had almost leaped out of her body, Max angrily looked first at the nose of the vehicle and then raised her gaze to the driver—who she couldn’t see due to the glare on the windshield. She scowled and slammed her hand in the middle of the hood with probably more force that she had wanted, but it didn’t matter. ‘ _The asshole almost hit me!_ ’ She grumped. Max proceeded to show her displeasure with a singular special finger and then marched to the safety of the far sidewalk and down the hill towards the train station.

* * *

Max sighed. Her client and soon-to-be bride gestured randomly again. This time she was complaining about the lighting, or was it the color palette, or the positioning of her hired photographer? Max couldn’t remember what it was exactly. The bride used about as many arm motions as she did words and was clearly agitated about this weekend’s ceremony; her behavior made it difficult for Max to follow. It seemed, at least to Max, that her host had somehow become an overnight expert regarding everything related to photography and the processes thereof. With another sigh, Max started gathering her notes, the readings from the light meter, and her camera equipment. She made sure the memory cards that contained the sample pictures were safe in her bag. ‘ _It wouldn’t do for me to piss off my client because I misplaced them._

The Museum of Flight was, she thought, a novel place to hold a wedding; a geek’s dream wedding at least. The different shapes and colors of the aircraft on display presented interesting and unique contrasts which delighted her photographer’s eye. Luckily for Max, her time was up based on the contract the bride had signed. She bid the frantic woman farewell while also confirming that she’d be present on the bride’s ‘ _special_ ’ day. Max left the building and quickly set up an Uber to take her to the train station—she didn’t want to get intercepted by the bride. Not at all. After a five-minute wait and a ten-minute ride, Max found herself patiently awaiting the 11:30 am train back into Seattle.

* * *

Chloe looked at her phone just as her stomach started to remind her it was getting close to lunchtime. The phone said 11:30am and if she estimated correctly, she’d be back in Seattle just in time to hit the lunch rush at the pier. ‘ _It’s as good a plan as any,_ ’ she thought while leaning back in the bench seat. She sprawled her long legs enough that no one was willing to sit next to her, so the bench became more of a couch. The train slowed as it started approaching the next station.

“Rainier Beach Station,” the automated voice said.

The train slowed more then stopped. With an electronic ding, the doors parted and allowed those standing to depart. Afterwards, new passengers entered and started distributing themselves throughout the rail car. A freckled face looked towards the bench that Chloe was spread upon with a frown. With a sigh, the brown-haired young woman turned and grabbed a hand hold while the train started to move. Chloe hadn’t been paying attention, more like zoning out and relaxing when the train had stopped, but now her eyes widened in surprise. For the third time in the same day, she was within arm’s length of her best friend, the one she had dedicated herself to watch over and protect. To carry out The Plan™ to save her. She looked cautiously over towards Max, who was gazing towards the front of the vehicle. She looked her up and down, completely taking in her appearance. This was the closest she had been to Max since she last saw her at the cemetery during Dad’s funeral. Chloe's memories bubbled to the surface remembering the whole messed up chain of events afterwards. She recalled her depression, rebellion, and meeting Rachel. And then Rachel was gone. It all culminated with a journal entry Chloe hadn't written but discovered two weeks after Rachel went missing. From that day onward, Chloe's perspective changed, and she dedicated herself to watch over Max; from a distance. ‘ _Keep Max safe, but don’t get too close. Or else!_ ’ Chloe knew it was a risk, but what could she do? She was boxed in within the rail car and couldn’t change the fact that they were in proximity to each other.

As the train continued along its route, outside, the skies slowly darkened. The minutes passed and it became apparent; a storm was coming.

The train lurched and slowed down rapidly.

Rain started falling and streaked down the windows of the moving train.

With a final shudder, the train came to a standstill.

An automated voice stated, “Attention passengers, the train has been temporarily delayed due to mechanical difficulties. There is no immediate danger and we will resume operation as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.”

Thunder rolled overhead and the rain turned to hail.

The train shuddered and lurched forward and then abruptly stopped again. The passengers were thrown around like ragdolls and the freckle-faced woman bounced off a partition and fell to the side. “Shit!” Chloe immediately threw herself forward, her arms reached and caught Max before she could collide with the side of the train car and steadied her. She quickly released Max and turned away.

“Uh... Thanks…”

“…” Chloe muttered something Max couldn’t hear.

Max looked more closely at the woman sitting on the bench. She couldn’t see the details of her face, and the blue jacket she wore hid her build. But she had long blond hair that had a hint of red in it. Red like a…

… A strawberry. Memories started ordering themselves in Max’s mind. There was something just slightly out of her grasp… tickling her thoughts.

“Er… Excuse me, but do I know you?” She asked of ‘blue.’

“No!” The woman answered quickly, without turning to face her. In fact, if Max didn’t know better, even considering the woman’s rude tone, she’d think the woman was actively avoiding her gaze.

“Oh… Sorry, I guess. I didn’t mean…”

“J.. Just… Um. Leave me alone.” Chloe interrupted in an obviously faked pitch. Her eyes were still glued to the window watching outward into the storm.

Without warning, the train lurched and started slowly moving forward. Max quickly grabbed hold of a railing, still trying to figure out the seated woman. Even though she knew staring was impolite, Max couldn’t stop. She watched the blue-jacketed woman as the train accelerated smoothly, until the lights went out. Max lost her focus and looked around, suddenly tense, until she realized the train had entered the tunnel under Seattle. Her eyes adjusted to the different lighting, and Max looked back towards ‘blue’ only to realize the seat was vacant.

“King Street Station. Exit on the left.”

The train rolled to a stop and with a ‘ding’ the doors behind Max opened. People exited and entered as they usually do, then the doors closed with another ‘ding’ for the train to resume. Max’s stop was next, and even though there was a now vacant seat she stood anyway and wondered about that woman’s curious behavior. The events from today replayed in her mind and she realized the woman was the same one she ran into at Starbucks earlier this morning. ‘ _What are the odds?_ ’ She thought. ‘ _Who is she?_ ’ Max continued in this line of thought until the train eventually deposited her in downtown Seattle. Max looked around the station and found an empty bench to gather her thoughts. She closed her eyes briefly and took a couple of breaths. Her stomach growled. “All right, now for some lunch.” She said as she reopened her eyes. She had a set of tasks still to accomplish, tasks that she had committed to memory. She got up, reached into her bag for a tissue to dab her slightly runny nose, it was cold and January after all. Quickly Max moved toward the station’s exit, tossed the red-stained tissue into the trash and headed out and then down the sidewalk to the waterfront below.

* * *

Chloe’s heart was beating fast. She’d made a snap decision to get off the train and lucked out that the tunnel kept her from Max’s eyes. It had been a near thing too, the doors had opened just in time. She tried some breathing exercises to cool down while she rode the escalator up to ground level. From her view she could see the rain had just about stopped which was a good thing considering her lack of head gear. After orienting herself, Chloe decided that heading to the waterfront would put some additional distance between herself and Max. The walk was longer than she had expected, but she knew the way easily enough. This part of Seattle was older than the ultra-modern skyscrapers the tech district contained but the brick buildings gave the streets character you couldn’t find from glass and steel. When she’d been younger, it would have been a great place to put her mark; graffiti of various groups and gangs adorned the walls in cryptic shapes and contrasting colors. Chloe felt almost nostalgic for the aura of freedom and independence the area provided. Almost every corner was occupied by a street performer, peddling for some coins by playing instruments or even bucket drums in one case. As she approached the waterfront, the older buildings gave way to more touristy venues, pubs, bars, restaurants, and shops that catered to locals as well a cruise-line passengers and business folks. The variety was astonishing and ended with a downward hill climb to the waterfront pier that bordered Seattle with the Puget Sound.

It was lunchtime so street vendors and restaurants alike filled with lines of hungry customers. Chloe crossed the street and walked onto the boardwalk to wait in line at one; a local fish and chips place that she enjoyed. It was fast and cheap, but plentiful for the price. The wait allowed her to look at her phone and remind herself of the tasks she’s set. ‘ _Well, I’ve watched over Max today that’s for sure._ ’ Chloe thought. She ordered her food shortly and after only a few minutes grabbed the provided tray and went and found a place near a heat lamp. The seat was positioned with her back to the waterfront, but she didn’t mind, a tradeoff between a view and the warmth provided by the heater. Chloe dug into her food, though not as quickly as she had used to—she had learned to enjoyed eating instead of just considering it fuel. The salt on the fries contrasted nicely with the tartar sauce within which she dipped.

She casually glanced around the rest of the customers, not because she knew anyone, she just enjoyed watching the people come and go; it was relaxing. Chloe let her gaze continue to slip across the crowd until a singular person centered in her view and the rest of the crowd faded to the background. The young lady had a fry half-way to her open mouth but was otherwise motionless; a statue. Her freckled complexion was clear even at this distance and her sapphire eyes were wide not with surprise but recognition. Chloe could not dodge this time, not even if she tried. An automatic response took over as her own eyes locked onto Max’s for the first time in what felt like forever. They sat across the pier staring and communing in each other’s gaze. An eternity of time passed between each breath yet neither moved even an inch.

Time remained still. Color and sound bled from their surroundings leaving only two pairs of shining blues illuminating like beacons of a lighthouse. Beacons of a safe harbor.

‘ _…Don’t get too close to Max…_ ’ The thought wandered behind Chloe’s eyes trying to connect with anything rational. It failed. It never had a chance. The apparent distance between the two contracted and all the while, neither pair of eyes blinked.

Like a reflex, dangerous words, alarming in their content, bubbled up from the depths of Chloe’s mind.

 _‘Bad fucking things!’_ It wasn’t enough.

_‘BAD!’_

_‘FUCKING!!’_

_‘THINGS!!!’_

The words slammed into her stupor in an attempt to break her free.

 _‘THIS IS NOT A GODDAMN GAME! GET THE FUCK OUT!!!! DO IT NOW!!!!!!’_ The words erupted in her head as if she’d been hit with a sledgehammer. A big-ass sledgehammer. The thought brought tears and spikes of pain to Chloe’s head… she blinked.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Chloe quickly looked for a way out. She had to evade Max at all costs, but behind her was nothing but water so she abruptly got up and launched herself into the awaiting crowd. Chloe moved hastily through the waiting customers. She pushed and shoved to get some distance as angry glares and comments from the patrons started to become a problem. Some customers grabbed for her in an attempt to restrain the troublemaker, when suddenly Chloe broke into the clear and sprinted to the street side, which just happened to have a walk signal in her favor. She crossed the 6-lane road just as the walk signal switched to red.

“Chloe??!”

Chloe froze… Max had found her.

“Please wait, Chloe!” Max’s eyes focused again on Chloe as if looking through a tunnel. _There. Was. No one. More. Important!_ A bus stopped in front of Max not willing to enter the intersection while it still had a pedestrian in the crossing. Max continued to walk slowly towards Chloe as a car honked and sped up, abruptly switching lanes, passing the bus.

Max didn’t see the car. At the moment, she only knew one thing existed; had eyes for only one person. Chloe was all that mattered.

Chloe turned to see Max standing in the middle of the intersection as the light turned green. Their eyes locked for the second time as a car slipped past the stopped bus in front of Max.

The thought ‘ _Bad Fucking Things’_ was quickly replaced by the single most important imperative. A command that overrode everything. _The reason_ she had done all this work for years:

‘SAVE MAX!’

Instantly, Chloe was in motion, heading towards Max as fast as her long legs could propel herself. She never looked away, never considered the risks, and she wanted Max to know that she’d die trying to save her. Only feet away Chloe dove, her arms reaching far ahead of her to close the distance. Their eyes still locked, she stretched as far as possible and more. The sound of the car’s horn filled Chloe’s ears, but it didn’t matter, contact had been made as she pushed with all she had. “I’ve got you!”

Max was lifted into the air by the strength and mass that rushed towards her. She landed squarely on her bottom near the curb but never once let her focus fall away from the person she missed so dearly. The car was inches away from Chloe, its brakes squealing hideously the sound of death. Still looking at Her Captain straight in those beautiful, limitless eyes, the First Mate lifted her hand and shouted for all the universe to hear… to hear her admission of guilt but also to hear her cry to be forgiven…

“Never again!”

Time stopped with Chloe still in mid-air. A hair’s width separated her from the car. Max wrapped her arms around Chloe’s midsection as if carrying a package, and she tugged and pulled her frozen friend until Chloe was clear of the vehicle. Max moved over to the curb and carefully positioned herself to catch Chloe as she slowly released her hold on time. To anyone paying attention it would have looked like the taller girl’s leap had been overly successful as mass and momentum resumed its course; nobody noticed the slight shift of Chloe’s outstretched body. It wouldn’t have mattered to Max if they had. All that mattered to Max was caught and captured in her waiting arms as they fell into a tangle on the sidewalk. They each lay there and caught their breath, still unable to speak but to just enjoy the sight and closeness of each other. Max held on for all she was worth as Chloe’s own arms protectively surrounded her further.

“I got you Max!”

“I got you Chlo!”

They said it at the same time.


	4. The Captain and the First Mate – Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you all are doing great! Today's chapter is about Max and Chloe getting to know each other all over again. Hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to send comments and suggestions whether they be critical or complimentary.
> 
> Huge thanks and shout-outs to [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) and [Aspect11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) for their awesome support as well as the community on Discord. I could not do this without everyone backing me up!

**October 07, 2075 (Z+67)**   
**Near lunch time.**

Chloe fiddled with the controls that moved her chair as she backed away from her desk and headed to the kitchen. Her home was on a single level, so it made moving the wheelchair from room to room easy enough. The greying woman was intent to get a sandwich or something similarly light to eat. She roamed the specialized refrigerator, designed with easy to reach shelves, and collected bread, lettuce, bacon, even some mayo. Closing the unit, Chloe grabbed and placed a flat skillet on a burner and set the bacon to start cooking. Bread went into the toaster, and, while the hot side of her meal cooked, she expertly sliced the ripe tomato she grabbed from a basket, tore some lettuce, and readied the components to be assembled. With a ding, the toast finished just in time for the aged woman to flip the sizzling bacon which was already becoming crisp. After a quick flick, both sides of her sandwich were coated with a thin sheen of mayo, followed by cracked pepper. She laid the pieces of bread down and placed the lettuce on one side, and the tomato on the other. As she continued to assemble the sandwich, the smell of cooking bacon permeated the air. She breathed in deeply. "Mmmmmmm."

A quiet tone sounded from the other room; a notification she knew was from her remote uplink to the lab facility over at MIT. Something important was happening and she’d been expecting it for a couple of weeks; it was still hit or miss when attempting to predict potential changes in space-time. ' _It’s happening! It’s… time!_ ’ Quickly she turned off the range, gathered the bacon onto her meal, and put it aside. Not wanting to miss what she believed would be another first for herself, if not mankind in general, she rolled back to her desk where the monitors glowed while figures and numbers scrolled by.

ANOMALY DETECTED  
01-03-2018 (Z+10) fT

Chloe pressed a button to change to a graphic simulation of what was happening and watched in almost real-time. It was like seeing two approaching wave fronts coming together, except in 4 dimensions. As the effects passed into each other they merged, complimenting and reinforcing one another; the resulting whole was significantly more than the sum of its parts. The _perfect match_ formed an event that became self-sustaining. It was beautiful and indescribable, for no words had been invented to portray what she was witnessing. The event oscillated slightly then came to rest, and like a warm blanket a new mesh of stability wrapped around it sending shockwaves across creation. It all happened instantly, because time was not the cause, merely a symptom. Chloe watched entranced as the epic affair unfolded, and while the beauty of the simulation continued, another small beep sounded, and a window popped up on a second monitor.

NON-RANDOM  
BACKGROUND PATTERN DETECTED  
01-03-2018 (Z+10) fT

She tapped some commands into the keyboard and the signal resolved. The letters 'T H A N K Y O U’ reflected in her clear azure eyes, which caused a lopsided smile to form on her face. "Well done, First Mate. You deserve it. May you both have clear skies and favorable winds." After tapping a series of commands into her computer, she turned her chair and headed back to the kitchen to gather her lunch. The screen blanked to show a familiar background; herself as a young girl and her best friend dressed as pirates. To the side, a timer ticked down.

* * *

**January 03, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Pier 54. Seattle waterfront.  
Just after lunch time. **

The young women sat there on the sidewalk as other pedestrians moved passed. Each of them, in their own unique way, just found a part of themselves that had been missing; a complimentary part that filled a hole in each other's being. One girl had crossed time and space to be there, the other had kept the path clear to make the reunion possible. Both had different stories to tell, but at the moment neither of their narratives were as important as just being together.

Slowly, Chloe got to her feet, never letting go of Max, helping the brunette stand. She wasn't sure whether she should stick around but keeping the brunette safe was still priority number one—it was going to be a balancing act for sure. Max clung to her, tightly encircling her waist with both hands and burying the side of her face into her torso. She refused to let go, so she moved as Chloe did. Together, as a single unit, they stepped back from the street and found a bench at the edge of the pier facing the waterfront. Both girls looked at each other and started talking at the same time.

"Max? What were…"

"Chloe? Why did you…"

They stopped, still watching. Each waited for the other to start talking.

"What…"

"Why…"

They quieted again. A smirk formed on Chloe's face while her friend's patient frown slowly turned into a small freckled smile.

Max leaned into the blonde. "You go first, Chlo."

With a deep breath, Chloe began again. "What were you doing crossing the road like that? You could have been _killed_!"

Max thought about it for a second but kept coming back to the same question. "Well, why did you run away when you saw me?"

"Uh… I… I just had to go… Er, I mean… yeah, I had things to do." The lie was both unconvincing and obvious to Max.

Her eyes narrowed as the brunette sat up and looked back directly. She could see Chloe's eyes darting left and right. "Chloe…?"

Chloe knew she'd been caught, even after so much time apart they could still read each other like open books.

"Look Max, it's hard to explain… Shit, sometimes I don't know what's going on… _Bad Fucking Things_ happen around me sometimes… Like, I didn't want you to get hurt." At least that was partially the truth. She hoped it would be enough, so she tried to change the subject. "Uh, Max, do you know you're bleeding?" She ignored the blood all over her jacket.

Max raised her fingers to her upper lip and drew back red. "Yeah… That happens sometimes." Max reached into her bag for a tissue. Chloe got there first and dabbed the blood from her friend's face. ' _Maybe I've dodged that bullet for now._ '

"Are you alright? We should get you to a doctor. That's an awful lot of blood."

"It'll be ok Chlo. It's not important."

"Whadda' you mean it's not important?! You need to have someone take a look at you."

"Oh… No, it’s just a side effect… It's… it's happened before… It'll be fine… Now… …Now that I'm here…" Max's cheek stayed solidly on Chloe's midsection as she spoke. If anything, her arms tightened further around her friend's waist.

Chloe looked to Max with a confused expression. "What do you mean 'Now that I'm here?' You've been here dozens of times. What makes this place so special?" There was something about her behavior that didn't seem to fit, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Max realized this Chloe didn't know that she was a different person. ' _Did we have a relationship? I guess I'm going to find out… eventu… Wait… What??_ '

"How do you know I've been here ' _dozens_ ' of times? Chloe??! Have you been following me??"

"No… No… Not like that… I just… I just wanted to make sure you're okay. "

"I'm fine… Now."

"Max? You're not making any sense. I mean, it’s so great to see you, but I don't understand."

"This really isn't the place to talk about it. We have a lot of catching up to do, and I've missed you so much."

She was still worried about the consequences of being near her, but Chloe couldn’t resist any longer. This was Max after all, and she hadn't talked to her in a decade!

"Okay, look. We need to get you home and cleaned up. Sound good?"

Max nodded and rose with Chloe… but didn't release her.

"It's gonna be really difficult getting out of here if you keep holding on like that, dork. I mean, I'm not gonna say no, but…"

Max blushed crimson and slowly loosened her grip, moving her arms from around Chloe's waist to her arm instead. However, at no time did she release her grip.

"Your dork…" Max said quietly.

Together they made their way across the busy street and started up the hilly sidewalks towards Max's home. ' _It's going to be a long walk,_ ' Chloe thought, wondering how she was going to keep her smaller companion safe. They could take the bus, but given the state they were both in, blood on Max's face, and all over her own jacket, it didn't seem like a good idea; it would just create more questions from bystanders. Chloe led the two up the hundreds of stairs and emerged in the market. Pike Street's famous venue was crowded for a workday with visitors browsing the various stands for fresh produce, locally made crafts, and occasionally dodging flying fish. It was a dynamic and colorful place usually, but at the moment she was more than a little apprehensive. Everywhere she looked was like a heads-up-display showing threats. That person over there looks suspicious. The floor is covered in water and ice from some of the vendors, one could fall and break their arm, or worse. The car coming down the hill is going way too fast. ' _Bad… Fucking… Things… Everywhere._ ' Chloe drew her freckled charge closer and carefully moved through the crowd. A person bumped into her. ' _Hey! Watch it!_ ' She slipped on the wet floor but recovered. ' _Whoa!_ ' A car drove past but had slowed for pedestrians. Nervously, she moved them towards an exit, looking both ways many times before attempting to cross the street. Finally, out of the crowd, she relaxed her grip and let out a sigh, and they continued up the hill towards the shopping district.

"Chlo? Do you think we can stop and get some food? I mean, I left mine back at the pier and hardly started on it."

"Su… Sure." Chloe was glad Max hadn't brought this up while they were still in the market. She didn't know if she could take being there with so much going on. "Can we get you home first? You know, maybe order delivery instead?"

Max nodded and became silent again. She didn't understand why Chloe was behaving so strange, but then again, she really didn't know this Chloe. She thought about what else was different in this time stream. ' _Where do I live? Do I have any friends? What do I do for money?_ ' She reached into her bag and found keys, a wallet, her phone, an expensive digital camera, and her trusty, if worn, Polaroid. While they walked, she went through her wallet and was pleased to discover her address, which was printed on her driver's license, was the same as the previous time stream she'd been in; down to the apartment number, #1007. Then her focus drifted back onto the woman next to her, the one she'd lost. As they walked, Max quietly compared this Chloe to her memories and saw many changes. Gone was the beautiful blue hair that matched her eyes, to be replaced with shoulder length strawberry blonde. Her face was nearly identical to her memories, perhaps showing a little more fullness of a better diet than previously, and while her current attire hid more details, the taller girl's figure seemed to agree with Max's assessment. Her demeanor was the biggest difference. While her current behavior was, ' _…what's a good word? Skittish?_ ' This Chloe seemed to have more purpose and direction and reminded her of her friend's behavior from a time before her family moved to Seattle. Whatever the changes Chloe went through, it all came back to one simple fact. ' _Her Chloe, her best friend, her Captain, and so much more was alive! She's alive!_ ' She got lost in the wondrousness and she continued in this fashion until they rounded the corner and up the steps of the apartment building. They reached #1007 and Max fished around for her keys while not allowing her grip to release Chloe. She flipped through the keyring until she found the right one, unlocked and opened the door, then dragged the blonde inside, closing the door with her foot.

* * *

Chloe let out a big sigh as she took off her shoes, set down her backpack, and entered Max's home. Her entire body seemed ready to collapse; she had been so tense getting the younger girl home worrying about all the possible ways she could get hurt. But now they were here and in one piece, protected from most dangers by the walls and brick of the building. It was a safe harbor for weary pirates to rest. Chloe moved down the hallway, admiring how the scarred mahogany flooring and its deep, dark color made the home seem cozy and comfortable—something she really needed right now. After five years of observation, she'd never once been to her apartment, and as she glanced about the main room the tension slowly faded. It contained an overstuffed couch with a matching coffee table, a desk on one side complete with a laptop and a large monitor. On the side stood floor to ceiling bookshelves containing photography books, and a collection of different cameras. 'Always the shutterbug, eh hippie?' She giggled quietly.

Chloe turned her attention back to the brunette who still had blood stains reaching from her nose, down past her chin and onto her jacket. Max had entered and stood still, as her eyes and head moved to take in the entire room. ' _That's a little weird…_ ' The thought entered her mind, but she decided to put it on the back burner until Max was taken care of. Carefully, she helped the brunette off with her coat, set it on the counter, looked her over and led her to the bathroom attached to the only bedroom. Wetting a hand towel, Chloe dabbed and wiped away as much of the red as she could, but some remained and, in fact, some of it had gotten into her bangs.

"Max, you're going to have to shower to get the rest, and it's in your hair too. Are you good?"

"Sure." She reached into the shower to let it warm up, turned back and started undressing; completely forgetting Chloe was standing right in front of her.

"Uh… Dude, maybe I should go get you some clean stuff… to… uh… wear… that's probably… …yeah…" She awkwardly glanced at the partially disrobed girl before she hurried into the bedroom to look for a change of clothing.

Max's face blushed a bit. "…If you want," watching her leave then added quietly, "…I guess…" Once Chloe left her view, she let out a small sigh, finished undressing, and returned her attention to the shower, checking that it was just below scalding like she preferred, then stepped in.

* * *

Chloe began rummaging through Max’s closet looking for replacements for the bloodied clothing piled in the bathroom. Inside it contained several shirts, blouses, jeans, skirts, and slacks of a variety of colors and style that showed the photographer had both casual and professional appearances to keep up. though none were neither too fancy nor too casual. Thinking about Max, the blood and nosebleed, she figured casual and comfortable was best, so she grabbed a simple t-shirt, a pair of sweats, and an old worn hoodie that looked vaguely familiar. She grabbed some random underwear from the dresser and headed back to the bathroom with her bundle. With a light knock on the door she let her showering friend know she was present and placed the garments on the countertop. She turned to leave…

"Chloe? Is that you?"

"Uh, yeah Maxi. Who else would it be?"

"Oh… No, it’s just… It’s been so long… Like a lifetime… I, uh… just wanted to know this wasn’t a dream."

"Maximus, this ain’t a dream, really. And dude, I’m seriously glad to see you… but we’re gonna need to talk, because there’s some shit…"

"…I know." Max interrupted. "Believe me, I know. I’ve got things to tell you too. Why don’t you go make yourself at home? I’ll be done in a few, unless…"

"…Er… right. I’ll just go wait in the other room. Take your time." As Chloe’s face heated up, she hurried out and went back to the main room where she stood there. ' _Do I stay or go? I mean, its Max… but I’m not supposed to get close. Shit I don’t know… I can’t just leave her…_ ’

Chloe rolled her eyes and immediately dropped onto the couch and sprawled out. This wasn’t like old times—when they used to hang out together watching movies, doing their homework together, drawing, and everything else young friends do. It had been almost 10 years since she had even talked to Max. Sure, she had missed her little pirate friend terribly, but with all the shit that happened between then and now, she didn’t believe they could just pick up where they left off, at least not immediately; they'd need to reconnect first. On the other hand, the more she thought more about it, the more she realized her First Mate had been really, even overly, clingy today. It was something she’d have to ask her about. Chloe relaxed into the couch and closed her eyes as thoughts about the past took the edge off. They were fond memories of themselves growing up surfaced--fun, exciting, happy memories. ' _The best of times._ ' She didn’t hear the brunette enter the room.

"It looks like everything is the same," Max said quietly as she padded into the room, dressed in the clothing Chloe had laid out for her. A towel hung around her shoulders to keep her still damp hair from getting the rest of her wet.

' _That's a weird thing to say._ ' Chloe thought to herself as she opened her eyes. From her position on the couch she watched as Max opened and shut drawers, unlocked her computer, and studied the shelves full of photography books and cameras. Eventually, her best friend came over, picked up the blonde's outstretched legs, sat down, and then placed them back down across her lap.

"I missed you so much Chlo. You have no idea."

"Max? What's going on? You’re acting, uh… different…"

"There's so much I have to tell you. But it’s so hard because so much shit has happened to me and… you."

"What do you mean happened to… Me?"

Max's expression dropped and both sadness and terror filled her eyes. "Chloe, it’s a really long story and it’s going to sound crazy. I'm scared of…" She couldn't complete the sentence and sat there silent.  
Chloe shifted her legs to the floor, sat up and took both of the distressed girl's hands in her own. "Come on Max… whatever it is, it’s me… we used to tell each other everything…"

"…I don't know if I can… I… I… Lost…" She leaned in and buried her face in Chloe's chest. "…I Lost …"

"Lost?"

"… you…"

Chloe had not expected that, and it took quite a few minutes to regroup her thoughts. The last she remembered 'losing' her best friend was when the Caulfields moved away.

"Max, that was almost ten years ago. You can't blame…"

"…no, not then. Later… But you're right, that's when it started. Chloe… I'm so scared… of…"

' _We're dancing around the same issue… I'm sure of it. Fuck! What happened to her?_ ' With a compassionate look on her face, Chloe raised the terrified brunette's chin, so they looked directly at one another. "Max, you're still my best friend. I'm here and you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, I've seen some bad fucking shit too, so trust me, I'm not going anywhere." Max gulped… and then couldn't stop once she started speaking.

"I **lost you** Chloe and it was my **fault** and I **hated** myself for so long because I couldn't **fix** it and I was so **aimless** and everywhere I looked I saw **you** and I **_promised you I would never forget_ **and I didn't **not once not ever!** "

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down. Easy…" Chloe put her arms around Max and drew her in. "There you go… take a deep breath."

Max breathed deeply as her companion suggested, in and out, repeating it several times.

"Why don't you take it one step at a time, yeah?"

"I lost you…"

"Yeah, I remember. You moved away to Seattle."

"N…no… after that… after I came back to Arcadia Bay."

"You came back. I know. I saw. We never did reconnect… I don't know if you wanted to, but at the time, I really didn't want to be found."

"…That's not the time I'm talking about… I lost you… I… I watched y…you die…so many times." Max dropped her face. She couldn't look at Chloe. "And then I… I let you die… when I could have saved you… but I didn't… and it was all…for nothing!" Her breathing quickened and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I’m so scared that… that… you’ll… ha.."

Chloe knew what was coming and abruptly interrupted. "Stop. Right. There. Max. Don’t you finish that sentence!" Her words were blunt and to the point as she tried to bring Max back from another trip down anxiety hell. A timid freckled face looked back at Chloe only to find an almost endless expression of concern and caring etched on her face; not disgust and hate as Max had expected. "You are my best friend… I mean, I know it’s been a while, but... I could never. What did we used to say? We’ll always be together…"

"…Even when we’re apart." Max completed the ritual. She stared into the blonde’s face as it slowly changed from concern to the wonderful, smirking expression she hadn’t seen for years. Light reflected from Chloe’s eyes, tinting it blue, just a glint, a sparkle that accented her mischievous nature. A sense of familiarity washed over her as she truly saw the woman she lost so long ago and missed so much. 'She's… Chloe…' And in an instant, she fell in love with her soulmate all over again. Moments passed as she let the joy and relief rebuild her broken heart. Max knew there would be a hell of a lot more healing to come but she resolved to continue. She breathed deeply.

"What I have to tell you is gonna sound… uh… really strange." She paused for a bit to gather herself.

"Oh, I think you’ll be surprised."

Max gave Chloe a curious look. ' _Why would she say that?_ ’ She was determined to get this out. She continued. "I can control time."

"I know, or at least I suspected."

"What!!??? How do you… I… uh… how is that even possible? You’re… I mean… uh… … … how?"

"That’s a little hard to explain Maxi. Uh, sorry to interrupt. Go on…"

"It all began about a month after I returned to Arcadia Bay. But for you, I suppose it started… on… the day y… your Dad died."

"… Yeah … I kinda’ had a feeling you were going to say that." They both stopped and surprised looks covered their faces.

"What do you mean?"

"You told me something that day… something that didn’t make sense back then." Chloe got a far-off look on her face and gazed at the ceiling as she recited Max’s words from a memory so clear it was as if they had been said just yesterday:

'Listen, whatever happens, I want you to be strong.  
Even if you feel like I wasn't there for you...  
because I will never abandon you, Chloe.  
I'll always have your back. Always.’

"You… you remembered…"

"I did."

"But I abandoned you… Why?"

"Because, you little dork… you were my best friend and I knew you meant every word. It just took me too many years to realize it. And Max…?"

"…" Max was speechless. She couldn’t say anything. She just stared at her Captain.

"You still _are_ my best friend. That never changed." Chloe wrapped her arms back around her First Mate. "Keep going, you’re doing great."

"Ok… uhm… anyway, I realized I had powers over time and…" Max proceeded to re-tell the story of the week of hell to Chloe, including the storm, the Dark Room, and the ultimate _Price_ they both paid. She only skipped a couple of _minor_ details.

* * *

Max finished her monologue and all the while she had never left Chloe’s embrace. As she told the tale, the joy she had felt just minutes ago seemed like ancient history, and if it was possible, she burrowed further into her love's comforting arms. "So that’s my story… The last I saw you, you died in that bathroom, I went to your funeral and… Oh Chloe! I’m so sorry! I let you down when I told you I wouldn’t!" There was an edge of panic creeping back into Max’s voice.

Tightening her arms, Chloe hugged her still stricken companion further. "Hey now, don’t do that to yourself. I get it, really. I understand. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere." She knew Max had left out some details, this wasn’t the whole story, but Chloe decided she had to tread carefully to keep her friend from further anxiety, especially as they just started to reconnect with each other. "Can I ask you something Max?"

With a small croak from her constricted throat, "Uhh… ok… What do you want to know?"

"You said I died. But if that happened, how am I talking to you?"

"Well, it’s like this… there’s a Plan™ to fix everything… I don’t know how to explain it."

"Wait!??? Wh…What did you just say?" That was not what she had expected to hear.

"…I said there’s this Plan™…"

"This Plan™… W. Wh. What? You mean **_The Plan™_**? Max, what do you know about… I… Er… How could you know about that?"

Max stopped for a second. She hadn’t anticipated this reaction at all. "Uh… I learned it from… hmm… how do I say this?" She decided yanking the bandage off quickly was the right approach. "You told me. Uh… sort of."

Suddenly it clicked in Chloe’s mind like discovering the missing term of an equation. "Hang on a sec." She got up and went to retrieve her backpack she’d left at the door, quickly hurried back, sat down and rummaged around in the bag. Producing her journal, she opened it to the first page and showed Max. "Does this mean anything to you?"

Max read the letter and a smile grew on her face as she completely forgot her previous worries. ' _It’s real! Everything she told me is real!_ ’ She looked at the blonde, her heart soaring as everything seemed to be coming together. "Yeah, it does…" Without another word, she handed the journal back to Chloe, went into the kitchen to get the stool she used to reach the higher cabinets. She placed it in front of the fireplace, retrieved a pencil from her desk and proceeded to fish for the book she knew was behind the mantle. A few minutes later, with the dusty book in her hand, she returned to the couch and handed it to Chloe.

"Yeah, I think it’s safe to say it means everything to me. Go ahead and open it."

Like the researcher she was, Chloe placed both her journal and the book side by side and started comparing and reading both. She assessed the letters, and all the rest of the contents; page after page she went through each and checked equations, math, and notes while quietly talking to herself and occasionally glancing back at her freckled friend, who's face beamed back at her as she waited patiently.

* * *

"So… What do you think? I mean, about The Plan™?"

"It’s… It’s… incredible! It’s…" She couldn’t help it as her excitement peaked, she fell back into her real personality. "…amazeballs! Dude, this is just fucking unbelievable!"

Max giggled, she loved seeing Chloe like this. "I haven’t heard that in a while!"

"I mean, shit! I have so many questions! I don’t know where to start."

"Well, I don’t understand the math, but I can try to fill in some of the blanks."

"Yeah, it took me years to understand it myself. But I guess my first question is the same. How am I talking to you if you said I died?"

"Remember how I said I can control time?"

Chloe nodded.

"I can also jump back in time using a photograph." She fished out the photo of her which was marked with a date in late April 2013 and handed it to Chloe. "Does this date mean anything to you?"

Chloe looked at the photo of a younger Max and the date. Her eyes grew wide. It wasn’t as if she’d ever forget April 2013 in the first place. ' _Rachel…_ ’ She got a far off look on her face. "It… does."

Max felt the energy in the room drop like a rock and mentally kicked herself. "Chlo…? I’m sorry about Rachel." She leaned in to comfort her. "I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories."

"…Yeah… Sometimes I just wish…"

"I know… and we’re both messed up about all the shit…" Max leaned into the taller girl to give her comfort and sat silently for a few minutes before continuing. "But that’s not the only thing that happened. Look at these two books. What’s different about them?" She pointed at each in turn; getting Chloe’s mind working on a puzzle would help her past the painful part.

Chloe looked at Max, and then each of the journals. She flipped them both to the first pages again. Back and forth she went, her head bounced quickly between the two as she compared them. Eventually her motions slowed down and she moved in for a closer look at each page, her blue eyes narrowed to focus on the minute details; the tip of her tongue stuck out as she concentrated. Absentmindedly, she took the pencil Max had used and circled two lines on each page; the same words. The subtle problem solved itself in her mind and she realized what she was looking at. ' _How did I miss this? After all these years?_ ’ Chloe reached into her pack again and pulled out some spare paper and wrote:

She compared her handwriting with the book Max had produced, and then her journal. The former was a _perfect match_ , yet the latter was not.

"Uh, Maxi? Why are these two signatures written with different handwriting?"

"May I?" Max casually took the pencil and wrote the same signature.

Afterwards, she moved the sheet back and overlaid it on Chloe’s journal. The handwriting was a _perfect match_. She turned and smiled at her companion. "See?"

Chloe looked at the matching signatures, then back at Max. All thoughts of Rachel faded away and she realized what this really meant.

"You did this? All of it?"

"Well… no. Not the math. _Never the math._ Just memorizing it almost killed me, you have no idea. I don’t really know what any of it means. But yes. I changed your journal."

Chloe rolled her eyes at the thought of the _fucking math_. "Yeah, the math is a killer, you got that one right Maxipad." She smirked. Her excitement was growing again.

"So, anyway, I jumped back to the end of April and made changes in your journal so the timeline would split. I never actually saw you while I was there, otherwise a different outcome would have occurred. I hadn’t seen you for five years in fact, not since the _week from hell_." Max said this all as a matter of fact, her confidence was improving and she didn’t need to get emotional right now, not when they were reconnecting so well. She felt like she was on her own turf again now that she was with Chloe.

"I’m starting to get it." Chloe scribbled some notes in the margins of her journal. It was a habit she’d picked up whenever she learned something new. "This is all starting to come together, I think. But there’s something else… I saw you. I watched you go to Blackwell, and, uh, yeah and graduate. Why didn’t you just come see me and tell me all about this? What am I missing?"

"I know. All of this stuff is really weird. It’s hard to explain from your perspective."

"What do you mean?"

"Chloe, when I travel back through photos, I… well… I kinda’ take over my own body."

"You take over…?"

"It’s like only my mind jumps back. Then, if there’s a specific task I need to do I get some amount of time to do it. In this case, change your journal. Then I snap back to the changed timeline, exactly at the time I left."

Chloe thought about that for a second. "So, when did you jump to 2013?"

"Just today, January 3rd, 2018. And I, um this is going to sound weird, spent a week as a younger version of myself in 2013, April specifically."

"And you went back to change my journal? To split the timelines."

"Yup. And after that, I returned to today. I found myself at the train station underneath Westlake. I didn’t know what had changed yet, but I was hungry, so I went down to the waterfront like all real Seattle hippies do at lunchtime." Max shrugged. It was true. That’s what Seattle hippies did.

Chloe’s eyes went wide. "So… wait. If you change something, that splits the timeline, yeah? What happens to the Max after you… what did you call it? Snap back?"

"She continues on unaware of anything until she gets to the point in time when I made the jump. Then I take over."

"So that wasn’t you on the train? I mean, shit. We bumped into each other heading back from the South side."

"We did? But no, it was me, but not me, it’s so hard to explain."

"So… it’s like she’s on auto-pilot or something? What happens to her and her memories… I mean, when you snap back?"

"I don’t know." This topic was an issue, and Max started to worry again. She didn't know how the love of her life would react to the fact that she replaced the auto-pilot version of herself when the photo jump snapped back. ' _After all, I'm swapping one life with my own…_ ' Her self-doubt grew.

Chloe thought about the situation, postulating different scenarios; one could almost see the gears kick in as she focused inward on the problem. Max’s anxiety started to get the better of her and she started to wrap one arm around her other in her classic ' _I suck_ ’ stance. ' _This is it. Chloe hates me!_ ’ She didn’t know if she could survive that and she watched as her companion processed all the new information. It seemed to take hours, but eventually Chloe’s attention shifted back to the brunette who was almost in another panic. That special glint reflected off her eyes again and she gave her First Mate a wink and her signature smirk.

"So that’s why! Oh damn! That’s fucking brilliant! _HA! HA! HA! HA!_ " Chloe started laughing. It was a sound that Max hadn’t heard in 5 years and her panic melted away instantly.

" _HA! HA! HA!_ Hella genius!" This went on for a while and Chloe started to have problems getting enough air. The previously stricken girl started giggling as well since the laugh was entirely too contagious.

" _giggle_ What’s so _giggle_ funny?"

" _HA! HA!_ You! _HA!_ You dork! _HA! HA!_ It was _HA!_ all for you!" Chloe stood up exuberantly, turned and faced Max. "All of the shit about," she raised her hands and used air-quotes and a lower voice to accentuate the turn of phrase, " ' _keep Max safe or else!_ ' It was all so you could snap back!" She spread her arms wide. "All of it! All the work to follow you around, keep an eye on you," she spun around addressing the entire world, "it was all about keeping your landing zone safe! It makes total sense now!" Chloe turned back to her, and immediately a mischievous grin took over. And then she pounced, scooped up Max in a bear hug and landed squarely on the couch in a heap of arms and legs.

"I’ve missed you so much Max! You have no idea what I’ve had to do!" Max squeezed a little tighter. She knew she’d need to tell her beautiful companion more, but for now this was just fine. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes and her heart continued its mending.

"Chlo, can you let me up for a second?" Max remembered she had another task to finish, but was interrupted as her stomach growled, followed almost immediately by Chloe’s own. ' _Well hell, neither of us had eaten our lunch after all._ ’

"Sounds like Maximum Hunger strikes again, eh?" Chloe chuckled, but wouldn’t let go.

The shorter girl paused and for the first time in forever, an impish look covered her face. Chloe had this amazing effect on her and if there was one thing she had learned throughout the past five years was that you had to seize the chances when they presented themselves; the comment was just too good of an opportunity to pass up and she’d waited a long time for this. ' _Be a little bold Max!_ ' She took a breath, looked Chloe up and down, then straight into her wonderous blue eyes, connecting deeply into her soulmate's being and raised her eyebrows just a little bit; subtle like. "I could… eat." Deadpan mode. Max winked once and let the silence fill the room until she couldn’t take it anymore. ' _Ok that’s enough of a buffer. I wouldn’t want her to forget this. Better let her off the hook, we’ve got all the time in the world now._ ’

"Chloe? Hello?" Max rapped on her Captain’s forehead like knocking on a door. "Anyone home?" She smiled when she got no reaction. "Well, why don’t you call out for pizza or something? Oh! Or Chinese maybe? I have to go send a quick message." Max got up and walked slowly back to the bedroom. When she reached the door, she turned her head back towards her stunned beauty, enjoying the outcome maybe a little too much. ' _Fuck it! That’s My Chloe,_ ’ and winked again.

Chloe just stared at her with her jaw half open.


	5. The Captain and the First Mate – Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's post was supposed to be published on Chloe's birthday (03/11) but events in real life have caught up with me and it is no longer appropriate to do so. I don't want to forget to send it out, so I'm doing it immediately. As usual, thanks go to [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) and [Aspect11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) and the community for their support. Further chapters will be forthcoming, but I do not know when.
> 
> for Mom...
> 
> Thanks for being there. Your strength, courage, and love will always have a special place in our hearts. You taught us well and your three men will go on, but rest now knowing that you've done a great job.

**January 03, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Max’s place  
Seattle  
**

Chloe stared at the retreating form of her best friend with her jaw completely unhinged; it could have been dragging on the floor for all she knew. She watched as Max stopped and looked back with her dusting of adorable freckles and piercing, radiant eyes. ‘ _Oh! Those eyes! The hella blue windows into her… her…'_ She couldn’t think of the word that sufficiently described her Max… Time wound down as Chloe continued gazing and ever… so… slowly… one of Max’s eyes closed. It… was… mesmerizing… Then time reasserted its normal flow and within an instant, the eye reopened, Max turned away and went through the doorway.

Minutes passed and Chloe still hadn’t picked up her chin or moved an inch, even though she was starting to drool. She tried to gather her wits, but it seemed her brain was still processing everything that had just taken place. It replayed in her mind as if she were watching the highest definition movie in full 3D VR. Over and over, both quickly and in slow motion she saw Max head back to the door and each time Chloe concentrated on a different aspect; her form, her curves, how she moved her legs and arms, or how her hips swayed, or her backside. And it all culminated in those freckles contrasting with her pair of dazzling, cobalt eyes. After a few more moments, she blinked once, shook her head to clear it, and her brain rebooted.

"Wh..what… the… actual… fuuuuucckkkk just happened???" She said it out loud without thinking about it.

"Did you say something Chlo?"

"Uh… oh… um… Ha! No! No! It’s alright." She tried again to regain some sense of control. "Yeah, uh… You… said Chinese, right?" ‘ _Nice recovery… I’m such a dork!_ ’

"Yeah, that would be great!" Max poked her head back across the threshold with a gleam in her eyes as they captured Chloe once again. "It’ll be like old times!"

‘ _Oh my God! Those eyes! What the fuck is wrong with me?_ ’ Max slipped back into the room, releasing Chloe.

"Heh! Y… Yeah… Just like old times." She regrouped her thoughts and took a breath. "You still like the usual?"

From the bedroom she heard, "Yup! And throw in some pot-stickers too! I’m so hungry." There was a pause. "I’m cereal! I could eat… any…" Chloe didn’t hear the last part as Max moved further into the room.

"Right! Right! Pot-stickers! Gotcha!" Chloe fished her phone out of her pack and started concentrating on finding the nearest take-out. It took her mind off Max for a bit and helped her regain her sense of control. Her brain, though, had different priorities as it continued dutifully trying to process the events of the past ten minutes. With pent up energy, Chloe finally managed to stand up and start pacing around the room as she flipped through the online menu. Chow Mein, pot-stickers, noodles, and some dumplings were all added to her order. She admitted to herself, she was famished as well.

She submitted the order and continued her random walk throughout the apartment, absentmindedly gazing at either the ceiling or the floor but not really seeing anything; Max’s image kept her full attention. It had been ten years since they had been together. ‘ _Sure, I’ve watched over her for the past five, but that’s not the same. Is it?_ ’ Chloe pondered that for a bit and concluded that it was not the same at all. She’d done everything The Plan™ required and that meant she hadn’t interacted with Max since she moved to Seattle. Then she remembered… _Bad Fucking Things_. Chloe’s wandering came to an abrupt halt and she found herself in the middle of the small kitchen. Replaying once more the events of this afternoon, a side of her she hadn’t let out for ages pushed its way forward and she decided her course of action. It might not be wise, and it might put all the work at risk. ‘ _I’m Chloe Price and she’s Max fucking Caulfield. We are going to do this together!’_ Chloe paused for a second and then resumed her thoughts, ‘ _Heh!... Bad Fucking Things…?’_ Her eyes glowed with determination. She smirked, raised both fists and displayed middle fingers on each, daring the universe to try something. "Fuck off and get in line."

Her phone pinged and summoned her back to reality; the bold personality of her past moved into the background once again. It was the restaurant, emailing with regrets that delivery could not be made due to staffing issues, but that they were free to pick up their order 30 minutes, or cancel. ‘ _Shit._ ’ Chloe walked over to the bedroom and knocked on the door frame lightly.

"Max? Hey, you got a sec?" She stuck her head through the door and saw Max standing in the middle of the room with her arm up.

Max jumped a little, turned towards her friend with a startled expression on her face. She lowered her arm. "Oh! Yeah, I was… uhm, just finished. What’s up?"

"What were you doing?"

"That? I was sending a message."

"A… message…?" Chloe shook her head; she was getting distracted. "Yeah… uhm… ok, wait tell me about it later, yeah? I gotta go in…"

"You’re going to go?!" Max interrupted, her voice a little louder than she anticipated. The confidence she’d felt building over the afternoon started to fade rapidly. She quickly moved closer to the bluenette and wrapped both arms around Chloe’s right arm. "Don’t go… please."

"Hey, wait a minute, no. No, stop. That’s not what I meant, dork." She quickly tried to explain. "The take-out place can’t deliver today, that’s all. I was gonna go get it."

"So… you’re going to… come back???"

"Of course, I am dude! What the heck are you thinking? I was going to ask if you wanted to go too. Seriously Max, you can’t get rid of me if you tried."

"…Oh… uhm… sorry…" Max looked down at her feet. On the one hand, she was delighted that Chloe was staying, but on the other this having Chloe back in her life was still very new.

"Hey…"

Max looked up into her best friend’s face directly into eyes just as blue as her own. She still couldn’t believe this was real…

"I’m not going anywhere cutie." Chloe looked back at Max and waggled her eyebrows a bit. "Come on, we’ve got 30 minutes to get there." With that, both ladies proceeded out of the bedroom and down the short hallway to the door where they gathered their coats, shoes and boots, and walked out of apartment #1007 together.

"You know, your jacket is still covered in blood, right Chlo?" They’d been walking down the steps of the building when Max tugged on Chloe’s jacket sleeve and brought her to a halt. Chloe looked down and spread her jacket out to get a better look and sighed when she saw blood staining a large portion of its front.

"Yeah… I guess we gotta get this taken care of. Care for a little detour?"

Max nodded. "As long as we stick together."

"Then come on, my place is just a couple of blocks this way." Chloe pointed diagonally up and across the street and set off with Max following by her side. They walked in silence for a while, cut across the street and turned the corner before Max broke the silence.

"How about you?"

"What?"

"I mean, what have you been doing? I told you my whole fucked up story…"

"Oh dude! I’ve got so much to tell you. Hmmm… Where do I begin?"

"Anywhere you want. We’ve got all night." Max bumped her shoulder into Chloe’s to give her some encouragement. Chloe returned the favor.

"Alright nerd. There’s a bunch of messed up shit, but that’ll take too long, and I don’t want to tell you about it while we’re outside. It’d be better to wait until after we get back. Hmmm." Chloe scrunched her face in concentration.

"Oh. Ok. That makes sense. Why don’t you tell me who Chloe Price is now? I mean, from my perspective, I haven’t seen you for 5 years and you’ve really changed."

"Changed? Heh! Yeah, I guess I have, even from my perspective. Is it a good change?"

"Of course, it is! You’re still Chloe fucking Price, the girl I fe…" Max abruptly stopped talking and chastised herself. ‘ _Shit! I don’t think she’s ready for that part._ ’ A second of silence passed before she continued. "…You’re my best friend!"

Chloe missed the verbal slip-up as she tried to order her response in her head. "Ok. Well, here’s the thing. I’m pretty much a nerd now. After I found The Plan™, which I now know I have you to thank, I was still in a pretty rough state." She paused as she recalled her earlier self and her expression turned despondent. "…Rachel was missing…" Another much longer pause, "…I had no one... Shit! Sorry Max. That part still hurts even now." She paused again and tried to control her emotions. "…I was all punk rock with a _fuck off everyone_ attitude. I got into tons of trouble, was into drugs, booze, you name it."

"And blue hair." Max interrupted quietly, thinking this thought could cheer her up. She looked up at her friend. She loved Chloe’s new look, but… ‘ _Oh that blue hair!!!_ ’ A heavy sigh followed.

"Yeah, and blue hair too." They continued walking down the sidewalk. Max continued to watch as the distress marked on Chloe’s face softened until her wonderful signature smirk formed. "Yup, that was part of the look too. You know, looking back at it now, it seems so immature. I guess at some point we all have to grow up, don’t we?"

"…As long as we don’t forget who we are, right?" Max continued.

"Well, Maximus you’re in for a treat then, because I’m still the same pirate you grew up with. Just with a shit-ton more experience."

"I know… Go on, please."

"So, like I said, The Plan™ really changed everything. It took a couple of months, but once I realized what it all meant I changed my attitude real damn quick. It was insane but amazeballs at the same time. I dove into getting my education to learn everything I could about time, physics, math, and any other subject I thought would help. Just like she did…" Her thoughts were interrupted as a specific topic popped into her mind. "…Uh, Max?"

Max just nodded her head a bit to acknowledge that she had Chloe’s attention.

"Sorry, I’ll continue in a minute, but I just had a question. Who is the person that wrote those letters? I mean, I know you physically wrote the one in my journal, but what about that book? Do you know who she is really?"

Max tensed up. Earlier, she had skipped this part on purpose. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Well, she _is_ you in a way. Remember when I told you all about that _week of hell_? Well at one point I jumped to an alternate time stream because I made a change that I shouldn’t have. I met a you that was very different."

"Like, I was an asshole or something?"

"No, no. Not like that. No, she was still the same Chloe you were, with all the memories of us growing up. Just her situation had changed." Max gulped. "…Because of my meddling. She was… seriously injured in an accident and stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of her life." Max felt an arm go around her shoulders.

"Whoa! Dude, uhm… Shit! I said I didn’t want to talk about the heavy stuff. Fuck, no! I didn’t mean for you to tell me that shit. You obviously left it out for a reason. I gotcha, Maxi. Let’s just move on. It’s ok."

"You’re not… you don’t… you’re not upset?" They both stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Chloe thought hard about how she could make Max feel better and after about a minute her mind provided the answer.

"Not at all. Look at it from a different perspective. If you hadn’t made that change you and I wouldn’t have met like we have now, right?" Chloe's expression remained kind and her eyes twinkled with excitement. She watched as Max's own face became softer.

"…Sorry. I'm pretty messed up."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." She squeezed Max's shoulders, let go, and bumped her again. "We're all fucked up with this shit. We'll get through it… together."

"Thanks, Chlo." She'd really needed to hear those words.

"Come on, my place is just over there." She pointed across the street to a shabby looking apartment complex that was undergoing renovation. Checking to make sure it was clear, the two walked quickly across the street and along one of the smaller walkways between buildings to the side entrance. "It might not look like much on the outside with all the work going on, but mine is already done with renovations." Chloe lead the way into the building and up the first flight of stairs. The hallway here seemed to be almost new. They went further back and stopped at a specific door. "It's a pretty badass place." Chloe smiled proudly.

Max giggled a bit; she was feeling better and her self-confidence was bolstered by Chloe's attitude. "I bet it's all graffitied up and smells like weed like back home." She let out another, snarkier giggle.

"You know, I hadn't thought about it in that way. I guess from your perspective you'd expect that. I mean if things hadn't changed…" Chloe paused and got a mischievous look on her face as her head swiveled to look Max. Her blue eyes looked her up and down. ' _Time for a little jab back._ ' "Nah, its more your style… Super. Maximum. Hippie. Style." She winked and poked Max in the ribs accenting each word. Max's reaction was _priceless_ as she squeaked and immediately tried to avoid Chloe's questing finger, but she really didn't try too hard. After about a minute of dodging, laughing, running up and down the hallway like children, Chloe wrapped her arm back around Max and nudged them back towards her door. "Let's get inside."

* * *

Max took off her shoes and hanged her jacket on the one of the pegs near the door while Chloe removed her boots. The apartment, as Max noted, was similar in layout to her own. ' _I guess 1-bedroom apartments are pretty much the same.'_ The apartment had a different color scheme, light grey walls, bright white trim but was otherwise the same as Max's own. She felt comfortable here, almost by reflex; it being so familiar. There were differences too. She noted that the floors, while still wooden, were light oak colored which contrasted much differently than her own. The ceilings had inset lighting and bright trim work. In fact the apartment looked almost brand new. ' _This is a really nice place. I'm so happy for Chloe._ '

"Make yourself at home. I'll just be a sec. and then we'll go get the food," she heard Chloe tell her. Chloe had stopped at the closet in the middle of the hallway where her laundry machines were kept.

Max nodded and wandered around the apartment trying to take it all in. The kitchen, a galley style like hers, had matte black appliances, shaker wooden cabinets, and a beautiful natural quartz countertop that sparkled as she moved about. Being curious as usual she went through them all, noting what kinds of dishes and utensils Chloe used and a decided lack of food stuffs anywhere to be found. The fridge was also mostly bare as it contained a pizza box with a couple of slices left over, a couple of energy drinks, and some bottles of condiments like ketchup and stone-ground mustard. Her eyes went wide. 'Shit! Is that… _Ewww!_ ' Max quickly closed the refrigerator and stepped back lest the monster that was mayo got loose. She walked into the main room and continued her adventurous snooping. She moved over to Chloe's desk and laptop which was situated to the left of the room's only window. She fiddled with the mouse and the laptop's screensaver shut down and showed a background picture that made her smile—that same picture of the two of them as pirates growing up. She noted some weird equipment and a whole shelf full of textbooks next to the desk. Max read some of the bindings:

Quantum Mechanical Nature  
Advanced Electromagnetic Waveforms  
Theoretical and Computational Physics – 3rd edition  
Applied Resonances

… the list of books went on and on.

She continued moving around the room, finding a freestanding whiteboard that partially hid a flat screen TV that hung from the wall. It had equations and notes all over it and even some silly doodles of pirate ships. Max rolled the whiteboard away to get a closer look at the television and was surprised to find the back of the whiteboard was covered in familiar drawings she hadn't seen in ages. ' _Oh my Dog! I remember this! She kept it after all this time?_ ' Chloe had apparently repurposed the old drawing board they had both used as kids. ' _She really is a goop, not that she'll ever admit it._ ' Max quietly giggled at that thought while rolling the board back to its place then continued her slow spin around the room. There was a set of black and chrome bar stools up against the half wall that separated the room from the kitchen; obviously this was used in place of a table. Max tapped one of the free hanging lights over the service area to make it swing, grinned, and then tapped the others in turn, making the reflections off the countertop sparkle as the lights changed position. Her attention then moved on to the deep blue theater couch against the far wall, opposite of the TV. It looked extremely comfortable. Finally completing her tour about the room, Max's focus landed on a set of items hanged on the wall on the other side of the window and moved in for a closer look. Hanging there was a GED certificate dated July of 2013 and two diplomas from the University of Washington:

Bachelor of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics  
Master of Science – Theoretical and Astro Physics

Beside the school certificates, she found a trio of picture frames and some writing on the wall in Chloe's graffiti style. The topmost was again that same familiar picture of the two of them as pirates with a stylized caption written on the wall using Chloe's preferred sharpie.

Max paused her investigation while she let the image soak in. Chloe had never forgotten her, just like she hadn't broken her own promise to Chloe. Her emotions started welling up but this time it wasn't anguish or pain she felt but that deep love for her companion which went far beyond best friends. She understood Chloe probably wasn't ready for it, but the fact that they were together again was a huge step in the right direction. Her heart filled with joy just thinking of the future with Chloe as she looked at the other two frames. One was a photograph of Rachel, and the other turned out to be a shadow box. ' _Rachel… Damn, I wish I'd met you. Thanks for being there for her…_ ' She looked over to the black framed shadow box next to Rachel's photo and found on a lining of white velvet a blue feather earring, and a single bullet on its own thin leather cord, a special place for memories of Chloe's angel. Max felt arms encircle her waist and a chin propped on her shoulder.

A quiet voice in her ear, "Curious as usual I see."

"Yeah… I guess. You miss her, don't you?" Max wrapped her arms behind herself in a reverse hug and nodded towards Rachel.

Chloe didn't answer for a couple of moments. "Uh huh. Some days it's harder than others."

"Chlo, its ok. I understand, really." She squeezed behind her a bit to emphasize her point. "I just wish I'd have met her so I could show her how grateful I am… for saving you."

Chloe sniffed a bit, "…She was my angel. You two totally would have been best friends." Another snuffle. "Shit. Look Max… Sorry. I'm getting all messed up again. I don't want to kill what's turned out to be a great day."

Max reversed her position and looked Chloe straight in the eyes. As beams of blue connected the pair she reached up to her friend's face with both hands and lightly placed a kiss on Chloe's forehead, and then encircled her waist once again. "It's alright to feel bad… Like you said, we'll get through this together." They stayed that way for a number of moments until Chloe relaxed, taking in the comfort Max was providing.

Max broke the silence. "Are you ready to go?"

Chloe remained silent for a while longer, maintaining her closeness with Max until she got herself back under control. "Almost," she said quietly. "I've just got to grab another jacket, and uh… thanks Max… for being here." She released Max after a final hug and headed to her bedroom. Max followed behind.

For the next few minutes Chloe looked through her closet looking for her jacket and failed to find it hanging with the rest of her clothes. As if on autopilot herself, she rifled through tees, flannels, jeans, and still it remained missing. As the problem of the missing outerwear continued, she forgot her woes and started to realize once again that the situation had changed for the better. She pondered this while continuing the search and absentmindedly grabbed a tee and a pair of jeans and then added a blue flannel in case her jacket couldn't be found. These items got stuffed into her backpack that was still on her shoulder. ' _Where is it?_ ' She moved over to the dresser and went through each drawer, again tossing some additional necessities into her growing collection.

Finally, in the back of the last drawer, stuffed behind blankets and linen she found it. She tugged out her old leather jacket, shook it and closed the drawer. She'd not worn this jacket for the longest time but her self-exile from her real personality was over and there was no need to hide anymore. ' _Max is here!_ ' Purposely pulling out her bullet necklace from behind her shirt, she slipped her arms into the comfortable sleeves and felt a burst of confidence as she turned to Max with her arms out wide.

"Whadda you think First Mate? Do I still got it?" She raised a single eyebrow and showed a toothy grin.

Max just stared wide-eyed as she looked Chloe up and down, stopping briefly on the necklace, then finishing once again locked in a trance connected by her cobalt eyes. "Wowsers!" That was all she needed to say, it was all she could say.

"Fuckin' yeah wowsers Maximus! We're gonna kick some ass!" Chloe leaped towards Max and grabbed her in a bear hug and spun them both around. "Let's get outta here before our food is given away." She released the brunette and literally bounced her way out of the doorway and down the hall.

Outside the day was almost gone as the last of winter's light reflected golden off the windows facing the sunset. The girls headed North, occasionally poking at each other, bumping shoulders or otherwise acting like the two had never been separated. They talked about nothing in particular yet, kept up a steady banter of playful teasing as they walked the couple of blocks. About half-way to their destination, Chloe felt a hand slowly find its way into her own. Without looking or showing any reaction, she simply opened her fingers to let the pair intertwine as if it was reflex. They'd held hands all the way back to when they were kids, and honestly, nothing had changed. A smile formed on her face as she thought back to those simpler days and she lifted her chin just a bit higher. She had her First Mate back and the latent feelings she'd had for her smaller friend, even at that young age, started to resurface. ' _More than just best friends._ ' Her smile widened and their pace synchronized. In this manner, they quietly continued to their destination and then back to Max's place; they had never really needed words anyway, everything they needed to tell each other was able to be told through knowing glances, an occasional giggle or smirk, nudges, and small squeezes of their _perfectly matched_ hands.


	6. To Set a New Course

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, welcome to another chapter! I'm experimenting with new approaches so critical as well as complimentary comments are always welcome. I'll try to reply as much as possible. As usual, thanks go to [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) and [Aspect11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) and the community for their support.

**October 8, 2075 (Z + 67)**

With what could only be described by advanced _fucking math_ and absurd numbers of dimensions, two events edged closer. The precise way they _moved_ was meticulously orchestrated, and each member of The Crew™ followed their orders unerringly because The Plan™ was all that mattered. Another Captain passed on the flag just in time, then faded into entropy's embrace…

The countdown continued its job, heading towards zero while the grey-haired woman slept…

**January 03, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Max’s place  
Seattle  
Early evening**

"Oh my Dog! This is so good!"

The two women sat on Max's couch digging into their food ravenously as a Netflix series played on the monitor across the room. They weren't paying much attention to the show, as food to replace their missed lunches took priority. Between mouthfuls of pot-stickers, sweet and sour pork, and rice the two of them could not stop glancing at each other; both with something clearly on their minds yet unable to form the right words and being polite enough to allow the other to go first. A tension grew in the room, something exciting and familiar, yet new and foreign at the same time. They focused once again on their dinner. One of them would have to break the ice.

"You know…"

Chloe stopped raising the chopsticks to her mouth and looked over towards her First Mate, a quizzical look painted her expression and an eyebrow raised. With a small nod, she offered Max to continue.

"…you never did finish your story."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't." She giggled. "We kinda got sidetracked, yeah?"

"It's very easy with you." Max moved closer and poked the taller girl in the ribs to accentuate her statement.

"Dude! You're starting something…" Chloe casually set down her dinner.

"Am I?" Another poke was highlighted with a sly freckled grin.

"k nerd! Come here!" Chloe lunged and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and ended up on top. Victory was at hand! The Captain mercilessly attacked her crewmate's sides.

"Er… Chloe.. No! Stop! HA! HA! HA!"

"Submit ya' scurvy dog!"

"HA! HA! HA! HA! Stop! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! I! HA! Can't! HA! HA! HA! Breathe!" The tickling didn't let up.  
"Say it, dork!"

"HA! Oh my Dog! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! StHAHAHAp! HA! HA! HA! HA! I give! HA! HA! HA! I'm gonna pee! HA! HA! I give! I give!"

With a final wiggle of fingers, hands were removed from ribs and she laid down lengthwise next to the still giggling victim, facing her. Fitting like two parts of a puzzle they gazed into the other's eyes, each seeing their friend in familiar and yet new ways. They stayed this way until the laughter trailed off and their breathing returned to a normal steady pace.

"Hey…" In sync, they both started talking. A freckled smile met a mischievous smirk.

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah, Chlo. I need to understand what's changed and… well… I want to learn more about… you."

"Ok Relaxi-Max. I get it. I'm just… some of this shit is really dark. I mean, I know what you went through… mostly."

"…Mostly?"

"Come on, you and I know each other too well. Don't we?" She gave her a telling look. "You left some things out."

"Yeah…" She let out a sigh "I guess I did. A… are you …mad?" Max cringed a bit.

"What? No! No, you dork! It's just… I'd like to think we get back to being us again, you know?"

"I… you're right." Max blushed as thoughts of ' _… being us…_ ' complemented her already enamored feelings. She sat up in an attempt to get some distance and hide her face but failed to do so as she noticed the other girl's blue eyes follow. Chloe followed suit, stretching and standing up to let her crimson friend off the hook for now.

"Let's get back to that later." Her eyes twinkled with delight. "If we're gonna get all heavy and shit, we'd better clean this stuff up first."

The girls proceeded to tidy up the remnants of their respective meals, tossed the dishes into the washer and met back at the couch. The taller blonde settled down and Max stretched out with her head on Chloe's lap. Chloe looked down at blue eyes and freckles and slowly leaned closer, until their noses were almost touching.

"Comfy?" She waggled her eyebrows as her warm breath washed over the brunette's face which forced her little pirate's freckles to become camouflaged amidst a crimson background once again.

"Very." The response had a confidence that even the blush couldn't hide. The blonde's smirk made an appearance. _We can get through this._

"Good. Alright, if you have any questions or need me to stop, go ahead and say something, this might take a while. You ready?"

"Tell me."

Chloe took a deep breath and began. "Well, it all started a couple of weeks after Rachel disappeared…"

* * *

**_The impossible book_ _  
End of April 2013_ **(Z + 5)** _  
Arcadia Bay_ **

"…This can't be happening!" I sat there staring at my journal and… wait… I'm doing it again! Ever since Rachel left, I had got into the frustrating habit of talking to myself…

["You talked to yourself?"]

["Don't judge Max. For all I knew, I was the only one that I could trust."]

["Ok. I get it, I guess. Go on."]

I was seriously messed up and talking to myself was like my only outlet. Shit, I didn't even trust myself much less the others. Let's go down the list:

Mom? From my perspective, she only cared about one person.

Step-douche? Are you kidding?! Don't. Make. Me. Laugh.

Frank? Well yeah, he was cool to hang with and all but not much else.

And then I had Rachel, but she was gone to fuck knows where, probably LA and it was worse because it was supposed to be the two of us. No note, not even a text. Just poof! Gone!

You see? My support, such that it was, finally disappeared completely.

["You still miss her, don't you?"]

["Yeah, even now I see her in my dreams, sometimes. It was only just yesterday that I was crying like a baby."]

["Do you want to talk about it?"]

["Let's put that for another time. We've got a long way to go first."]

["Ok… But I noticed you left me out of the list… I'm… You… You have no idea h…how much I regret..,"]

["Hey… Don't worry about it now."]

["But…"]

["Maxi look, I won't lie. It was fucking rough for me after you left. I was angry, hurt, and my best friend was forced to move away, so it's not unexpected, right? But after a while, you know, when I got my head out of my ass and thought about it, I realized you had no choice. I know for a fact that it hurt you just as much as it hurt me. I mean shit Max, you stopped talking to me and that could only mean it did a number on you too. Anyway, I've forgiven you and myself a long time ago and focused on The Plan™. And look, we're here together right now so don't let it bug you."]

["…Alright…"]

["You good? You don't sound very convinced of that."]

["I'm… yes… I'm ok… keep going."]

I searched like crazy for Rachel, put up flyers, and kept my eyes open for any sign. I was obsessed with finding her and I got more and more worried as the weeks passed. But then everything changed in a single night when I discovered it.

["The journal."]

["Yeah."]

I hadn't written in my journal for something like a year. Maybe two. I didn't know what the fuck was going on. All my writing was gone, such that it was, and replaced with pages of equations and diagrams. It didn't make any sense; it was like the whole thing had been replaced. But the thing that kicked my ass more than anything else was that letter. Addressed but also written by none other than myself. I mean shit! Let's just roll a d20 and attempt to disbelieve. It was surreal.

["Really? You thought of a D&D reference? You really are a nerd at heart."]

["I did, and it was completely out of character. Heh! Yeah the pun was intended."]

Anyway, it made me stop and think. I mean, really think for like the first time in years. At first, I tried so hard to believe it was a joke, a sick joke. I read that thing a hundred times that night and it remained both impossible and yet completely believable, just like the other ninety-nine times. I looked at the wording, the content, and the warnings for any clue. Hell, I even held up each page to the light, but they were just pieces of paper, nothing else. I must have dozed off at some point because when I woke up the following morning the damn thing was covering my face. Oh! I remember the joy of seeing those equations first thing.

["Sarcasm?"]

["Do I need to hold up a sign? Yeah, you Maximum Dork, sarcasm."]

[giggle]

Fuck! I really needed a smoke but seeing those equations first-thing made me forget that and gave me an idea; a way to prove it was bullshit. I was still convinced it wasn't real. I got over to my desk and wrote down the first set. There were elements in it, pieces of motion equations, that I recognized from school and so I started with those and tried to work out the rest for myself. I spent hours reading through some of my old textbooks, searching the internet, and otherwise trying to break it. Shit! I even think I surprised Mom when I went down to get something to eat. I guess she didn't expect me to come downstairs and raid the fridge, or be home in fact, much less have my face buried in a physics textbook. However, even after all the work, the only thing I accomplished was to derive the same equations on my own. It convinced me that it wasn't a joke. Then I went back to the letter I had written myself. I reread it again not trying to doubt it, but to understand it. I circled key words and phrases:

Not a goddamned drill,  
  
Time,  
  
Space,  
  
Deep shit,  
  
Broken,  
  
Grow the fuck up.

I resisted circling one final word. A name. The one name that made me think it was all bullshit. Except it couldn't be, not after I proved to myself what the _fucking math_ was telling me. I had the hardest time just moving the pencil, like there was something physically restraining me. But then I thought back, you know, to when we were younger and loved pirates so much. That's what did it. It was the final piece that made it real, and it made me realize not only did the math work out, but also that some fucking bad shit I couldn’t explain was happening. And it was happening to you. I circled the most important word in the entire book.

["Me."]

["Yeah, Max. You. It changed me; the whole thing upended my entire world. But I guess that's part of The Plan™, yeah?"]

["It is. Do you want to take a break?"]

["Actually, that's a good idea. Gotta pee anyway. Take five?"]

* * *

The girls extracted themselves from each other and the couch and went their separate ways. Max went to the kitchen and collected two glasses and a bottle of wine; she hadn’t expected the bottle to be in the cupboard; it had been reflex to even check, and when she had looked closely, she'd been surprised to see that it was exactly the same wine as well. It was from a winery closest to Arcadia Bay; located in Oregon's Willamette Valley in fact. She didn't know much about wines, but the cabernet featured a lighthouse logo, vintage 2013. ' _How is it possible that the other me got the same wine?_ ' In her previous timeline she had purchased it on one of the extremely rare days that she wasn't being consumed by the decision she'd made; it was meant for a special occasion though she hadn't, at the time, had any idea when she'd get to drink it. She turned the bottle slowly, reading the label and contemplating this evening and of Chloe. ' _It's finally time._ ' She opened the bottle and put it and the glasses on the counter where they both could be reached from the couch. The brunette returned just as Chloe was finished and they both resumed their previous positions.

"I got some wine if you want."

"That may help. The next parts are going to be rough."

"Do you want to stop?"

"No. We need to do this. Just remember I'm right here. For you."

"I know. Back at you, Chlo." The blonde smiled widely and absentmindedly started running her fingers through brown hair. It sent soothing waves throughout the smaller girl and she sighed with content.

"Let's see, where was I?"

"You just finished explaining how you found out about The Plan™ and how I was involved."

"Right, yeah. So, like I said, it changed me immediately, but it took me a couple of weeks to figure out what to do about it…"

* * *

**_Grow the fuck up  
May 2013 _(Z + 5) _  
Arcadia Bay_ **

I remember my Mom's expression when I told her. It was strange at first, she was surprised, but it wasn't the complete shock I had expected. I guess she started to catch on that something was going on with me. I mean, the clues were all there and the changes in my behavior were obvious. I had a lot of long talks with myself about my choices and what I could do about it. I decided damn quickly to stop drinking, smoking pot; shit smoking in general if you really want to know. They were the most efficient things to cut out of my life given my new goals. And it was fucking hard. I still want a smoke now and again; they say the urge will be with you for the rest of your life. That's a fucking fact. Anyway, it took me a while because I just didn't know how to tackle the conversation I had to have, considering me being a delinquent and high-school dropout. I thought she'd bust up and laugh her ass off at how silly it sounded.

It was morning sometime in the middle of May when I figured I'd gotten all the information I needed and cleaned myself up enough to present a reasonable proposal to Mom. I dressed the part too, button down shirt, jeans without rips; shit, I even brushed my hair.

["You went all out, didn't you?"]

["Go big or go home, Maximus."]

["How'd she take it? I can imagine it was a shock."]

I went downstairs with an envelope full of information for enrolling in a GED program, how much it would cost and the possibility of financial assistance. I had all the forms filled out. I know I didn't need to get her permission since I was 19, but I thought maybe if I asked her to anyway it would be a great way to show her how much I meant it. She was in the kitchen and David was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the news before his shift at Blackwell. I was nervous as hell.

"Mom, do you like… Do you think…"

"Oh my Lord… Chloe? What in…"

"Uh… Yeah. You know… er… Hey Mom."

I couldn't keep eye contact with her. I kept looking around the house for anything to make it easier. I saw David lower the newspaper and first his expression was his usual distrust of, well, everything but then it changed. If I hadn't been so anxious it would have been hella funny. He just sat there with his mouth half open. I mean, if I could surprise him maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Chloe, what's going on? Why are you dressed like that?"

I looked back at her and saw that the expression on her face had changed from astonishment to curiosity.

"I need to talk to you." I quickly looked back at David, rolled my eyes, and swallowed my pride. "I need to talk to both of you."

"Chloe?" I heard David ask. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" His voice was stern as usual. My reflex was to start arguing with him, but I had to put that aside if I wanted to get this done. It was one of the hardest things I had to do.

"Uh… no. I mean, no trouble." It was at this time I decided to just drop it all on them. "In fact, it’s the opposite. I'm trying to stay out of trouble."

Apparently, David wasn't completely convinced because he kept pushing me. "Chloe, what are you hiding?"

"Dude! Would you just let… Fuck…"

"Chloe, language!"

"Sorry. Sorry Mom, I'm trying. Can you please just let me get this out?"

Mom looked me up and down. "Ok Chloe, what's this all about?"

I took a deep breath and just said it. "I want to go back to school." I think we stood there for five minutes, me and Mom just looking at each other. That's when I heard David slide his chair back quickly and stand up.

"Is this some kind of…?" But Mom cut him off with a wave of her arm, and I think that's when I knew I could do it. She told him to sit down and let me speak. He did.

"Mom, I want to finish school. You know, get my GED? I have all the forms right here and they just need your signature. I figure I could get that done in the summer and then to apply to college." It all came out rapid fire like I only had this one chance.

"Well, well, well. So that's what all this is about. I was wondering what was going on."

"You knew?"

"No, not entirely. But I suspected." I remember my jaw dropping to the floor. I couldn't get a word out.

"Sweetie, it's not that hard for your Mother to see that something was going on. You've been home more often over the past few weeks that the past years combined, and I don't think I've even seen you smoke."

"I… I want… no, that's not right. I need to change. I want your… uhm, I want both of you to…" The words didn't come easily.

"Take your time, Chloe."

"I want both of you to give me your blessings. Fuck! Uhm… sorry, this is hard."

"I'll let it pass."

"I want to do something more with my life. I… think… I mean… Mom, David, I… I want to grow up and I need your help… please?" It was one of the most difficult things I've ever said. The next thing I knew I had tears in my eyes and Mom's arms wrapped around me.

"Oh baby girl! Of course we'll help! And Chloe?"

"Mom?"

"Welcome home."

David didn't say anything, but I saw him nod slightly.

["What happened next?"]

["I had to start with a clean slate. I told them everything; my problems with alcohol and drugs, my debt to Frank, everything about Rachel, how I felt about it. All of it."]

["How's they take it?"]

["I stood there holding onto Mom, crying into her shoulder like a baby. But all she said was 'Don't worry about it.' "]

["What about, you know… David?"]

["David got interested in the shit about Frank and Rachel. All he said was, 'Thank you for being honest with us.' And it blows me away to this day."]

* * *

"Are you ok?"

"I mean it was all good talking to Mom and David about it. If I hadn't, we wouldn't be here right now, but… uh… gimme a minute."

Max shifted her position a bit to free her arm and wrapped both around the tall blonde's waist and squeezed, showing how much she cared for her. They remained this way for a few moments. Chloe continued to run her fingers through the smaller girl's hair and stared at the ceiling.

"Maxi?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you ever think, you know, about the what ifs? Like what if I didn't go back to school, or what if I had not looked in my journal?"

"Every single day. I think about all the ways it went wrong or could possibly go wrong."

"Do you regret it?" Chloe turned her gaze downward and her blue eyes met their compliment.

"I did… I lived with that regret for five years. But everything is different now. It all changed today because I got you back." Max's eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in the blonde's midriff.

"Max? Hey… look at me… come on babe… I know what you went through."

Max looked up into her friend's eyes; pools of sapphire that only showed affection and understanding. "It still hurts, Chloe, and I remember it as if it was yesterday. Why do I do this to myself? Why does it kill me every day?"

"You know the answer Max." The beautiful blonde's expression turned soft. "It's because you care."

"I… C…Chloe… I can't do this anymore… I need to tell… I'm… I'm in…"

"Shhhh…." As her own emotions swelled in her heart, she placed her finger lightly on Max's lips, gently quieting her.

Chloe smiled deeply and longingly at her friend while being drawn closer by a gravity that she could only just now fully explain. As she leaned over, inching closer until they were almost touching, she finally recognized, after so many years, that this beautiful freckled girl was the love of her life, and that it had been this way all along. Emotions washed over her as she realized their lips were brushing against each other's, just a feather's touch. She withdrew a bit and whispered quietly.

"…I know."

The girls stayed silent; each seeing the other in both familiar and yet new ways. They explored the other with just their eyes; those sapphire pools projecting a haze of blue around the focus of each other's love.

"I've held on to this so long Chloe… I have to say it, but I'm scared you'll… I'm afraid this will change…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Maxi Max. " The taller girl's face was still only a hair's breadth away from the other's, her words quiet and inviting. "You can't change something that's always been."

Chloe's words had an electrifying effect in her mind.

After seemingly a lifetime of guilt,  
  
of hating herself,  
  
of wanting to end it all,  
  
of a living hell,  
  
the young traveler finally found what she sought.  
  
She found her support packaged in blonde hair.  
  
She found her courage in a pair of absorbingly beautiful cobalt eyes.  
  
She found a way to love herself again in a smile from that perfect, oh God! Perfect face.  
  
She found the one she needed more than life itself.  
  
Her best friend.  
  
Her Captain.  
  
Her _perfectly matched_ soulmate.

For reasons Max didn't understand, the universe had put her through the worst kind of torment, a living nightmare, to get to this spot. She resolved at that moment that it had to end. It must end. Right here, right now. Her distress dissolved and was replaced by overflowing affection. It gave her strength to go the distance and to tell her partner how she felt.

"I love you Chlo, more than anything I can ever describe. I need you. I simply cannot be without you." Her words came out easily.

The inviting smile tilted into a smirk, as the blonde inched back to get a better look at her own love.

"See? Now that wasn't so hard was it?" The blonde cocked a single eyebrow upward quizzically.

"What? You ass!"

"Hey, I told you I knew… what did you expect?"

"But?"

"Oh, and Max?"

The brunette was speechless as the words she'd waited for were whispered into her ear.

"I love you too… dork."

The giggle was unexpected, but it soon became a torrent of laughter as both girls broke down the last barriers between them. It was uproarious, it was hilarious, it was fun… it was love. The two young women poked and tickled each other, giggled and caroused, like the best friends they were. Eventually, they settled down and cuddled while they caught their breath. They remained silent for a few moments until Max opened her mouth as if she had something to say, except no words came out. She paused while and pondered what she was about to ask, then tilted her head toward the older girl. She began again. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, nothing has really changed between us, we're still Max and Chloe."

Max got a sly expression "That's not entirely true, though is it? Something has definitely changed…" With that she threw her arms around the blonde's neck and pulled her into a tender kiss; the room, the city, and the world around them paused to give them time to themselves. No tricks, no powers required, just a polite gesture owed to two so made for each other. The contact continued and deepened, and she felt strong arms wrap around her while electricity coursed through both girls.

"No… I guess you're right Max Attack. Things have indeed changed." Their noses still touching, Chloe chuckled lightly while displaying an incredibly pleased toothy grin. She kissed her partner lightly once again. "I could definitely get used to… that."

A content sigh was the only response she got; one of the sweetest sounds ever known. Max's eyelids fluttered briefly as she regained control. A happy smile formed as her cheeks attained a pink glow.

"Wowsers!" She collected herself more and leaned in so their foreheads touched. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"Yeah… I think I do. When did you figure it out? I mean we're not keeping secrets anymore, for me I think I realized something was between us even before you left for Seattle."

"You… you did?"

"I guess. I mean, didn't realize what it meant back then, but yeah. And today I think I finally understood its always been there."

"I think it was the same for me, I just didn't get it until the, uh, _week of hell_. It started when you dared me."

"Wait… I dared you? During _that_ week?"

"Yeah. I didn't mention it earlier, because… well… I didn't know you, or what had changed. I… didn't want to scare you away."

"Not going anywhere nerd. Remember that. So… about this dare? Was it good? What did I dare you to do? No… Wait! Lemme guess. Was it…?"

"Chloe…"

"No, come on… Like, did I dare you to… hmmm. Get high? You know, toke one with me?"

"No. That wasn't it, though in the following years I may have taken you up on that."

"Ah… Oh! Oh! I got it! Take off your shirt?"

"Chloe!" The pink on the brunette's face darkened.

"No? Yeah, too easy. Wait! Your pants! Take off your pants?"

"What!!? No! No! You didn't."

"Strip? Yeah! Like get all naked and shit?? Oh! That's totally… My oh my!" She waggled her eyebrows at her partner as her excitement bubbled over, a gleam in her eye.

"Oh my Dog! Chlo! No! How is it that everything involves removing my clothing?" Max covered her face as the red overtook her freckles. The older girl cackled with delight.

"HA! HA! HA! Welllllll, if you have to ask… HA! HA!" She decided to let the girl off the hook but continued to eyeball the entire length of her beautiful friend. "Ok fine! What did I dare you to do?"

From behind her hands came a muffled response. "You dared me to kiss you. In fact, you double dared me."

Chloe, suddenly serious, took hold of both of her embarrassed friend's hands and eased them away to uncover the beautiful face behind.

"Whoa… Like a real kiss? That was a serious dare dude. And you say I double dared you?"

"Yeah… So, I kissed you."

"What? Just like that? Damn, that's hardcore Maximus! Amazeballs! So… what did I do? Did I kiss back? Did we make out? Oh! That would…"

"No… we didn't, I mean. You didn't. You said almost the same thing too, but I think you were too shocked that I had gone through with it."

"Sure. Sure. That… makes sense. But we kissed again, yeah?"

"We didn't. Not until…"

"Wait… wait… we didn't? That's a shame… oh… wait… until when, Max?"

"We didn't kiss until the very end. You know how I told you about the lighthouse?"

"Yeah."

"I left something out. By the time we got to the lighthouse my feelings for you were… well, it had always been you, even from the beginning; I just fully understood it. Then you asked me to go back and let you die to save the bay and we kissed for real. It wasn't a dare and we both felt it, I could tell. Afterwards, I did what broke my heart in so many ways, I listened and did what you asked. I went back. I never saw you again, not until today. But I never **_ever_** forgot you."

"But… why? Max? Why did you do that to yourself?"

"Because, I meant what I said. There's only you. I've had five years to live with my decision, think about it, and I hated myself for what I had done. It really messed me up Chlo, but I couldn't stop; I'm completely, head-over-heals in love with you. So now you know. It’s not a secret anymore."

"No secrets. Well, I guess you're stuck with me then. Because you know how I feel too. I'm just as in love with you babe. It's like we're…"

"…meant for each other." They said it in sync and then giggled at the underlying meaning. The tone of the room became comfortable, as both the blonde and the brunette relaxed with the knowledge that they were exactly where they should be.

"Well… now we know where we stand. Best friends, partners, and … uh… Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I get to call you… my girlfriend?"

"I really wish you would… because I already think of you as mine."

"…Fuck yeah, girlfriend!" She planted another kiss on her partner's lips and then stood up quickly, completely forgetting her girlfriend she had just kissed was still on her lap. Max toppled to the floor with a squeal as Chloe danced around the room. The brunette's laughter covered her shock quickly. ' _Chloe has always been impulsive._ ' It gave her a wicked idea.

Max collected herself and sat back on the couch, mischievously taking her love's spot and looked on as the excited blonde pumped her fists, spun around and generally acted like a dork. ' _My dork._ ' She patted the place next to her. "When you're done with… this," she waved her arm gesturing at the antics, "do you want to continue your story? Hmmm? Captain Dorkbeard?" She couldn't contain a giggle. Her girlfriend abruptly stopped prancing and stared back.

"Captain… Dork… Beard?"

"Uh huh."

"You are going to pay for that." The taller girl looked directly at her First Mate.

"Yup. But afterwards. We need to get through this." The sitting girl grinned, delighted with herself and continued to invite her Captain ' _Dorkbeard_ ' to sit down. The taller girl went over to the couch and loomed over her partner.

"Skooch over, yeah?"

Max looked up with her most innocent look and vigorously shook her head, inviting a challenge. She was clearly having a lot of fun teasing the other. "Nope." Her grin grew and crinkled her small freckled nose which only accentuated her playful intent.

"Mutiny…! Yer gonna walk the plank for this!" Slender arms reached out with hooked fingers, greedy to get hands on the vile First Mate who dared disobey her Captain. Max wiggled and dodged the attempts to relieve her of the duty-bound right to taunt her companion.

"Come on Cap'. Let's finish the story. Pleeeeeeeassseeee?"

With an exaggerated roll of her perfect eyes, Chloe dropped her hands, "…Fiiiiiiiinnnnnnne!" She turned and with a slight jump and an 'OOOF!' sat directly on top of the smaller girl's lap, leaning back to smoosh her into the couch. The brunette squeaked, wriggled and forced her head to poke out between a slim arm.

"I guess I know what they say about paybacks now… ugh, Chlo, can't breathe!" She gasped again. "Ok, I surrender. Uh… please… get off..."

Chloe scooted over to sit next to her friend and allowed her to catch some air. "Victory! Though, I have to admit Max, well played." She gave her partner a small peck on the cheek as a consolation prize, and then thought for a second. "You ready? Where did I leave off?"

Max looped her arm around the other's and leaned her head on her shoulder. "You finished telling me how you told your mom and David."

"Right! Yeah, so that was hard, but it put me on their good side. Once I showed them that I'd filled out the forms and had listed all the materials and books I'd need, I guess I convinced them I was really trying to change." She giggled a bit at the recollection. "I don't think I ever saw David so surprised."

"You got your GED?"

"Yeah, it was easy, and a good thingoo, because I had a lot of work to do over that summer…"

* * *

_**Learn this shit  
May - July 2013 ** _ **(Z + 5)** _**  
Arcadia Bay** _

My badass to do list:

  * Homework: Week of June 25 
    * World history report – Fuck yeah! This one is in the bag.
    * Calculus –Pfft! Limits, really? Done!
    * P. Physics – Relativistic motion. Need another day on this one, but damn! This shit is fun… if they only knew.
    * Computer Parametric Modelling – Gawwwwwd! Sooo slooowwww! I really need a better rig for this. Maybe Mom or David can get me something if I show them it's holding me back.
    * Language Arts in Media – Done!
  * Notes to self 
    * Find out where Max is (Seattle somewhere).
    * Keep looking for Rachel (miss her so much)
    * Ask about new laptop???
    * Gas up the truck.
  * Tasks 
    * Get GED [in progress – 68% complete. 16 units to go] 
      * Challenge the fuck out of any class you can. You own this bitch!
    * Find Max [in progress]
    * Find Rachel [in progress]
    * Apply to college – [need GED first] 
      * Fall 2013
      * Remote study program
      * Financial aid
      * Preferred 
        * University of Oregon
        * Oregon State
        * University of Washington
        * University of Idaho (small but great physics curr. plus… _Vandals_ are like pirates)
        * Washington State
      * Pipedream 
        * UCLA
        * MIT
        * Northwestern (and Chicago pizza too!!)



"Boom! Another assignment done!" I crossed off my calculus task in my day timer. It had been easy, like completely without a challenge, dirt simple. I couldn't begin to understand why people had trouble with this shit. But I didn't really care. It was just another step towards taking the final early, like I'd done with all my other courses. I was getting close to being done with my GED and it was exciting.

Once I had the talk with Mom and David, things started accelerating pretty quickly. I became more responsible to the point where David and I started talking, you know, like grownups. It was weird at first because I had a lot of baggage with regards to my past behavior. But he had apparently seen I was being honest for the first time since he met me, so we talked about my problems but also his own. And he totally came through regarding Frank and the money I owed. He told me that if I kept my grades up it wouldn't be a big deal. To be honest, I didn't fucking believe it, but it’s the truth.

["Did he bust Frank?"]

["No, he didn't. And I think it was because I told him that Frank had helped me out a bit over the years."]

["But you got out of the debt?"]

["Yeah, he hella paid for it without another word. I mean, I know he and Frank talked one night. But other than that, they both left each other alone afterwards, and I never saw Frank again. I didn't have any reason to see him, considering I dropped drugs and alcohol, even smoking almost immediately."]

["Was it hard, you cutting that stuff out?"]

["It was a bitch. But guess who's a bigger one?"]

[giggle]

I got into a routine and buckled down. I was up by 6am every day. I started exercising too, that's how I helped beat the cravings.

["Six? As in Six o'clock in the… morning?"]

["Yup. And it fucking sucked ass at first. Oh my God! You have no idea."]

["I don't think I want to."]

["Just trust me, it was hard to drag myself out of bed every day."]

["So…?"]

I would get up and go for a run first thing, and by the time I got home David would be up. Before he went off to Blackwell, he'd run me through conditioning drills and basic hand to hand techniques; said it would build up some of the discipline I was missing. He was right. Oh, by the way, that fucker hits hard but don't worry about me, by mid-summer he knew he met his match. Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that, not gonna lie.

Overall, I worked my ass off for two and a half months to get my GED. At the end not only did I score a perfect 4.0 but had 14 credits of core work towards my BS degrees. Yeah, that’s degrees with an 'S.' Plural; like, all at once. I was getting into the groove bigtime and even had some of the credits directly towards my majors. In between the schoolwork however, I still had two things I had to accomplish and those were to find you… and Rachel.

["You know what happened to Rachel, right?"]

["I was there when we found her… it was exactly like you described."]

["Chlo?"]

["…"]

["…Do you want to take a break? You know, and talk about it?"]

["I… know… Yeah, I need to take a break. Maybe it's time to have a drink?"]

* * *

Silence filled the room as the two girls sat next to each other. The taller one had both her hands wrapped around a half-full wine glass while the brunette leaned into her to give comfort and support.

"…It isn't fair Max. She didn't deserve that. No matter what she did. I…"

"Hey… I'm here for you." Max pressed more into her girlfriend's side.

"…I …never…" After taking a substantial drink from the glass, the blonde set it on the table and as she settled back, warm, gentle arms encircled her midsection.

"You need to let it out… Please Chlo?"

"I… Maxi, it still hurts. She was…"

"Your angel." The arms squeezed kindly. "I wish I would have met her." The smaller girl's voice was soothing.

"Yeah…" The blonde girl paused for a moment, letting herself calm a little bit. It was made easier by the closeness the two girls shared right now. "You two would have been hella best friends."

"Do you want to tell me about her? It's ok if you don't want to." She kept her voice calm and level.

"No, I… I mean, yes I'd like to."

Moments passed and Max felt the tension slowly ease from the taller girl and invited her to continue with a small kiss on her cheek.

"You know this already, but after you left, I went downhill fast and hit rock bottom. I was seriously ready to end it all. And then I met her… and it changed. She… Rachel saved me Max. She was my angel in so many ways. With her, I felt I had a chance…" Chloe paused and slowly reached for her wine and took a sip. Her girlfriend moved gracefully with her and yet never let go. Before continuing she set the glass back in its place. "She was full of life, fun, impulsive, smart and oh so hella hot. I fell for her Max, like in love. I mean, I know we both still had our issues, but at the time I just didn't care. My whole world revolved around her. She made me want to live again. Then, just like you she was gone, and I never saw her again." As she spoke, her emotions eased. It was as if she suddenly found a partner in the task to support her weary shoulders of the burden she'd been carrying; the _perfectly matched_ partner.

"Go on."

"It was only later, after, uh… the incident with…"

"The Dark Room…?" Max stiffened a bit, and her girlfriend noticed.

"Yeah… that. Uhm… are you ok with me talking about that?"

"Honestly? As long as you're here, I'll be fine."

"Alright, so anyway, it was only after _that incident_ that I learned about what really happened to Rachel. I found out she cheated on me and yeah, that made me mad as hell. But I still didn't stop loving her. I mean, I know she's dead…"

Max looked up and made eye contact and the connection contained only love and understanding. She knew about holding on to her feelings. ' _Maybe it's time to use that experience._ '

"Chloe… listen, it's ok. You're allowed to feel this way. If there's someone who knows this, it's me, but promise me something…"

"Sure."

"Just keep talking about it, with me. I want to share it with you, so I can help you."

"I can do that."

"Do you want to keep going? I mean, about Rachel?"

"Well, there isn't much left to say. She's gone and yeah, I still love her. Maybe I always will."

"And I'm fine with that, just so you know." She took a sip of her own wine.

"It still breaks my heart too, what happened to her in the end. No one deserves that."

"I know. I wish I knew how to fix it. I mean I still have my powers… but I don't know if I want to take that chance…"

Her emotions having run their course, the intellectual part of Chloe's mind immediately snapped her back to The Plan™ "Actually, no Max, you can't."

"What do you mean? I know it's dangerous, but I'd do anything to help you feel better including fixing things for Rachel."

"Except it's not something that can change. It never was."

"I don't understand."

"Rachel's death is, well it's complicated. It can't be corrected. It's something I learned over the years. I guess that's really what kills me the most inside. But what happened to her, the event, is a fixed point."

"Fixed?"

"There's an absurd amount of _fucking math_ and science involved to understand it, but it's all in the book. It had to happen, and nothing I know of can change it."

"There's nothing I can do?"

"There is, actually…"

"Tell me… please."

"Help me get over it, yeah?"

"Always. I'm here for you. And you know…"

"Hmmm?"

"You'll probably always have a special place in your heart for Rachel. And you should. You loved her, and even if you still do, I want you to know that I'm ok with it. She was a part of your life, and now a part of you, and I owe her so much… for saving you, for being there for you when I wasn't. Don't ever forget what you shared with each other."

"Thanks Max. Damn, how can you be so perfect?"

"I'm not perfect Chlo, not by myself. But with you, maybe we're both just a little closer. You think?"

"Yeah, thanks babe. I guess we are. Stand up a sec…" Both girls stood and the taller one picked up both wine glasses and handed one to the shorter girl. Then she raised her glass to the room in general and started speaking.

"Rachel, wherever you are, I miss you and I'll never forget you. You were my angel then, and you'll be my angel for the rest of my life." She looked back and gestured to her girlfriend. "Rach, this is Max, you know, the girl I talked to you about. She came back. She's my best friend, my girlfriend, and my soulmate. She's gonna help me now, just like you did. I'm in good hands. If you're watching, keep an eye on her too, yeah?"

Max raised her own glass with one hand, while the other gently entwined fingers with her soulmate's. "Hey Rachel. I just want you to know that I'll never be able to repay you the debt I owe. I wish things could be different, I wish it so much. But because it can't be, I'll make you a promise. I will never stop trying to keep Chloe safe. I will never let her down. I love her with everything I have and will never ever stop doing so. She is part of me as I am of her, and the piece of you that lives on inside of her is welcome. We'll, all three of us, continue on… forever."

The two lovers stood silently sipping from their glasses while they gave respect to their departed third. After several minutes of contemplation, the taller girl nudged shoulders.

"Thanks Max."

"You ok now?"

"Yeah. I think I needed that. You know?"

"I do. It's alright. Never forget she's a part of you, a part of us now."

"True, and I won’t. It's weird though, just now it doesn't hurt as much. I mean I know that I still miss her. But it's, like it's more… happy. Like something changed. Shit! This is so goopy."

"You always were the goop-master, you just hide it well." Max giggled a bit.

"That's Captain Goop-Master to you First Mate."

"By the way, Captain, you know you have a duty to perform… for her."

"Yeah, I do." She looked to the table and picked up the heavily bound book and handed it to Max who then held it out flat towards her Captain. The statuesque blonde squared her shoulders and placed her right hand on the book.

"I, Captain Chloe Elizabeth _Bluebeard_ Price, as Commander of the Pirate Ship S.S. Arcadia Bay and witnessed by First Mate Long Max Silver, do hereby appoint and require the services of Rachel Dawn Amber as Second Mate. May you stand lookout over our vessel and crew as we sail through dangerous waters; never to fail in your duty therein." She looked at her partner directly. "First Mate, what is the status of The Crew™?"

"Captain, all hands present and accounted." Max completed the ritual. The Crew™ was now complete. She reverently set the book down and encircled her love with her arms in a caring hug. "We're going to be ok now."

"Yeah, we got this."

The two sat back down on the couch, never leaving the other's embrace. Eventually they settled down and leaned into each other simply holding hands.

"So, we know about how you got your GED and everything, what's next?"

"Well, Super Max, this is the part where shit really gets dark… you know, _that kind of dark_. It happened to you in your previous time stream, but it also happened in this one."

"I expected as much, and I think the Chloe that wrote the book did too, or at least suspected. It would explain a lot about keeping the previous me safe."

"Well, yeah. And ultimately, I guess, we did keep you safe because you're here now."

"We?"

"Yeah, I needed help to keep an eye on you. So, I got someone to lend a hand." Chloe smiled a little at the recollection.

"Chloe, who did you rope into this?" She was a bit concerned but curious as well.

Her partner chuckled and winked. "You're gonna love this." Then she just grinned.

"Chloe! Who. Did. You. Find?"

"Kate."

"Kate?" The brunette's jaw dropped.

"Yup. Kate." The grin became toothy as the blonde showed how overly proud she was of herself.

"You got… Kate Marsh in on this shit? I mean… Oh! My! Dog! Chloe! What were you thinking?"

"Hey! It worked didn't it?"

"Well, yeah… But… Kate!!?"

"I needed someone on the inside and shit. You know, someone trustworthy?"

She was still in shock. "Kate???!"

Chloe shrugged. "Hey! I could have tried other people, instead. There was this one boy, what was his name??? Uh… Wilbur?"

"No…"

"…Waldo?"

"Chlo… come on… don't…"

"… No… Winston? Fuck, what was it?? He seemed pretty _interested_ in you from what I could tell… Wendy? No… HA HA… that would be hilarious…"

"Warren."

"Oh! Yeah! Yeah! Warren! That's what his name was! Wow, Maximillian! He sure looked like he wanted something _extra_ from you." Her grin almost cracked her face open and she waggled her eyebrows.

"What?!! No! Ewwww… We were just friends!"

"Oh! You knew him? You didn't say. Oh my, oh my!" She couldn't help teasing her new girlfriend.

"Stawwwwwwwpp!" She pleaded with the relentless girl. "Can we pleeeeassse stop talking about Warren?"

"Whaaaaat? I'm only saying… Heck, I didn't even know what your preferences were back then. I wonder what would have…" She put her hand to her chin in thought and gazed at the ceiling with barely controlled laughter.

"Chlooooooeeeeeee!!!"

The taller girl couldn't contain herself anymore and howled with delight at that the imploring girl's misfortune, so much that she fell off the couch and rolled around on the floor in hysterics.

"AH! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Oh! My! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! You! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! And Warren! HA! HA! HA!" Her face was turning red from exertion, but she couldn't stop.

Max pouted and crossed her arms. "You're a little shit. My Dog! Stop!"

"A! HA! HA! No Maximus! HA! HA! I'm a big shit! HA! HA! HA HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! I can't stop! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

The scowling girl sat there directing blue tinted daggers at her uncontrollable girlfriend. She really wasn't mad at her; this was just part of the game they'd always played. _'But damn! Sometimes she can go a bit far…_ ' She let out sigh.

"When you're done… No, no. In your own time… Don't mind me…" She sat there patiently while the laughter slowly died down. It took many minutes before the blonde picked herself off the floor, caught her breath and rejoined the cute brunette on the couch. Her grin still beaming on her face.

"Sorry… I just couldn't help myself."

Max's expression softened and she gave her companion a quick peck to show that there were no hard feelings. "You really love to go overboard, don't you? Don't. Ever. Change."

"You never have to worry about that babe, I've got more where that came from."

"I bet you do… So, Kate…"

"Yeah, Kate. She was the best choice. Quiet, kept to herself, genuinely nice, and it looked like the two of you were already friends."

"It's nice to know that didn't change. We were friends in my time stream too."

"Well, then it sounds like I picked perfectly. Anyway, after I found out you were enrolled at Blackwell I waited until the term started…"

* * *

_**Recruiting a 'Kat'  
September 2013 ** _ **(Z + 5)** **  
** _**Arcadia Bay** _

"You want me to what?" The reserved girl looked back at the taller one, noting with interest the faded blue hair that combined with strawberry blonde.

I sighed a bit. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince this Kate Marsh person what I needed from her considering my outward appearance as well as the outlandish request I had just made. Its why I had worn a simple set of jeans, a normal t-shirt, neither with rips, nor any sign of my rebellious past. Even my necklace was hidden under the shirt. I wanted to blend in with the rest of the typical students at Blackwell. When I had caught up with Kate, she was just on her way back to the dorms from her last class—a bit of information I had bribed Justin to get for me. I started over.

"Yeah. I'm… Look, my name is Chloe Price and years ago I was Max's best friend."

"So why don't you just go and, uhm, see her yourself?" It was a fair question, but I had prepared for it.

"Because, well… We didn't separate you know, like on the best of terms. The last time I saw her I said shit I shouldn't have" ' _Damn it! Language Chloe!_ '

"Excuse me? Please watch your mouth." She looked back at me with a scowl on her face and her arms across her chest clutching her binder in front of her like a shield.

I rolled my eyes a bit, not at her but myself. ' _Why don't I just dig the hole a little deeper Chloe?_ '

"Sorry. I'm still trying to break some old habits." She nodded for me to continue but I could still see she wasn't convinced. Hell, I wouldn't be either all things considered.

"Max and I have a history. We grew up and were together since we were little. She really was my best friend. Look, I'll be honest with you. I blew it. She moved to Seattle five years ago at just the wrong time, and I took it out on her."

I watched as Kate's face softened a bit. Maybe she believed me. "That's the first thing you've said that makes sense. Thank you. But still, why do you need me?"

["What did you tell her? Did you lie? Because…"]

["No, I didn't lie to her, Max. Yeah, I figured she'd see right through anything that wasn't honest and I wanted to make a good impression."]

["Ok. So, what did you do?"]

["Hang on, I'm getting to that bit…"]

"Look, Kate… Uhm, do you mind if I call you Kate?

"That's fine. Please continue."

"Ok, but uh, how much time do you have? It’s a really long story."

"I have a rather large amount of homework to do…"

"I promise, I'll keep it as short as possible, but there's a lot to tell."

I saw that she was slightly intrigued, but also skeptical but eventually after thinking it over, Kate nodded and relaxed her guard a bit.

"Awesome! Can I ask a favor?" I hesitated before continuing. "Is there somewhere we can go, you know, someplace public but like where Max usually doesn't show up?"

["Wow. So close. I bet I know how Kate reacted to that. Pretty creeper of you Chlo."]

["I know, right? I guess it did sound awfully suspicious. Anyway…"]

Kate's barriers returned immediately, and she took a half step back from me. "I don’t know if that's a good idea."

"All I want to do is tell you what you need to know, the whole thing, but Max can't know. Not yet. Look, please. Give me a chance to explain and it'll make more sense." I looked at her with my best pleading and sincere expression. I don't know if it helped, in fact I doubt it. There's something spooky about how Kate knows who to trust and who not to. Apparently, I ended up on the trust side of the line, my fuckups notwithstanding. She agreed and we made our way to that little tea house down by the waterfront. I offered to drive, but she insisted we take the bus.

["Nice move."]

["Yup, gotta hand it to her, she's pretty street smart. Who knew?"]

["Everyone always underestimates the quiet ones."]

["Yeah, so we get downtown, grab a table, and I lay it on her…"]

"You mean… all of this… all the diagrams, the math, the message… It's all… real?" She handed my journal back to me. "Is this… a joke?"

I thought maybe I had lost Kate right there. I mean, I really didn't know her but from what I'd gathered maybe her beliefs or shit wouldn't allow her to accept any of it. I looked straight at her when I replied, I wanted her to know I was telling the truth. "It’s the honest to God truth. I swear it is."

"And you say you didn't write this?"

"I didn't. Not a chance. Except, it says I did, I mean in a way."

"And you believe it?"

"I am absolutely convinced. Look, see this part here?" I pointed to where the other Chloe referenced the sinking pirate ship. "There's absolutely no way someone could know exactly what words to use. Only Max and I know this, and she's not here." I thought about it a bit more. "And that's not all. The math works, or at least the elements I've been able to derive on my own. It doesn't lie. I can show you…" I reached into my backpack for my notebook.

"No, I wouldn't understand the math anyway. I'll take your word for it." Kate sat there with both of her elbows on the table and her chin resting in her palms as her eyes glazed over while she tried to figure it out. "It's so…" Her voice trailed off as she continued to stare at the cryptic pages.

"Kate?" That's it, she's done. Gotta try someone else.

"Huh? Oh… I was just thinking that if this is true," she waved a hand at the book, "then that means there's multiple Chloes, including you, and they're working to fix something big. I mean, it says, _'time and space are **broken** and it all revolves around **Max.**_ **'** That kind of big."

"Wait… you… you believe me?"

"Mostly. But it's all so… strange. The things you've shown me seem to be facts; I think. This whole thing could be an elaborate hoax, and yet I can't figure out why someone would go through all this trouble. Furthermore, if I accept the basic premise about 'time and space,' I can't find any way to deny it either."

"But, doesn't this go against…"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Chloe, just because I believe, I mean believe in God, doesn't mean I'm not allowed to view and weigh facts on my own."

"No, I guess you're right. I just didn't expect it. Sorry." I really meant it too. I had stereotyped her and that wasn't fair. If it had been me just a couple of months ago, I may have punched someone out over that kind of assumption.

"Sadly, a lot of people don't. And it's ok, Chloe. I understand. Just like every other type of group, there's always outliers that give the groups a bad reputation."

"Ok! Great! So, you'll help me?"

"It's hard to completely believe, but I don't see how I couldn't. I mean based on this, " she gestured again to the front page, "Max needs me. She needs us, and the undeniable fact is she's our friend. What are you planning?" Wow, she got right down to business. I was starting to like this girl.

"Well, Katie…"

"Katie?"

"Oh, sorry. Ugh… again! It’s a habit I had with Max, giving little pet names to her, playing on her name. You know, Maxi, Super Max, Maximum Dork, Max Attack, Maximillian, Spider Max, and the all-time favorite…"

["You didn't. Please say you didn't tell that to Kate."]

["You know me so well."]

"…Maxi-pad". Yeah, ok that last one made Kate grimace. But it broke the ice nicely. "So… since we're going to be partners in this, can I call you Katie? Please? How about Katie Kat? Hmmm?" I gave her my best puppy-dog eyes.

" Do not call me Katie Kat, please. Kate or Katie as a nickname is fine." She smiled at me. "But fair is fair, you'll get one too." There was a twinkle in her eye. Uh oh, I'd probably have to watch out.

"Sweet! So, The Plan™ says we have to keep Max safe. And you probably guessed that I can't be in two places at once. I mean, your dorm room is right near hers and you two are already friends so it shouldn't be too difficult just to keep tabs on her. Besides, The Plan™ also says, and I don't know why yet, that I have to keep my distance. It's why I asked for your help in the first place."

"So, just keep an eye on Max. That shouldn't be too hard. We sometimes study, have photography and a couple of other classes together anyway."

"Awesome! And I sooooo appreciate it, Katie. Here, let me have your phone and I'll give you my number." She handed me her phone and I quickly typed a message to myself and returned it. With a 'ping' the message was received, and I took my own phone out to verify:

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Unknown name:_** Yo! Sup Bitches!

I made a few adjustments to give the contact a name and reread it:

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Yo! Sup Bitches!

"The only other thing I ask right now is to let me know who she hangs with, well other than you, and who is giving her trouble. I mean, I know Victoria is still at Blackwell, and she can be a pretty big problem all by herself."

"You know Victoria?"

"Yeah, when I was at Blackwell a couple of years ago. We, hmmm, we didn't get a long."

"Not a lot do. Ok, I can do that."

"And text or call me any time, day or night. I'm usually doing homework myself until around midnight, but the phone will ring through for you any time."

"You're in school?" I guess I had forgot to mention that.

"Yeah, I am. First year at University of Washington as a remote student."

"Oh! What are you studying?"

I pointed to the equations in the journal. "Would you believe physics, math and engineering all at once? Hang on." I fished out my student ID.

She looked at the journal, then my ID, and then looked back at me, something behind her eyes told me she changed her mind. I got really tense for a moment, but all she said was:

"Now I believe you."

* * *

"Katie Kat? Really Chloe? You called her _Katie Kat_?" Max looked quizzically at the blonde as they continued to sit next to one another.

"Well, not to her face. She was very clear about that." Her expression showed that she was clearly very proud of herself.

"What else did you do to her?"

"Whaaaaaat? Why would I do anything to our little Katie Kat?"

"Do you want the list?"

"You have a list? I am shocked Maxi. Simply shocked." Exaggerated angst filled her reply.

"You said, wait… what was it? Oh yes… ' _You know me so well._ ' And I do. I. Know. You. Soooooooo. Well." Her eyes gleamed a telling look directly back at her beautiful blonde girlfriend and poked her directly in the middle of her forehead.

"Ok! You're right. You do. But no, I didn't mess with Katie. Not much, just the name I swear. I even kept my language clean, well cleaner than normal."

"So, what happened next?"

"Well, it was pretty easy to keep our eyes on you the first month of Blackwell. Katie and you hung out more and more as you became friends. You guys hit it off, I bet you would have been friends even if I hadn't gotten her to help out."

"We were. Besides you, she was my best friend at Blackwell. I wonder what happened to her. I didn't keep track after, you know, you… died."

"Nope. Let's not talk about that sweetheart. In fact, hey! I got an idea… wait… no, it's cool, wait right there." The taller of the two stood up and quickly retrieved her phone from her backpack left by the door and returned. "Look…"

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Yo! Katie, sup!  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Chloe? OMG! It's so good to hear from you!  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Yeah! Same! Hey, look I don't want to interrupt you, but I got someone here that's come from a hella long way away and wants to say hey…  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Ok…

"Here… type something. Go on Super Max. Say hi." The nervous girl gingerly reached for the offered phone and started typing.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Kate?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Uhm. Hi. Who is this?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** It's… Max… uh. Hey…  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** M… Max? MAX???? OH MY GOSH!!!!  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** fc8qca3w 12389 c a!@

A few seconds passed…

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Sry! Sry! I dropped my phone! Max I haven't heard from you in forever!  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** How are you!  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Where are you?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** What have you been up to?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** We have so much to catch up on!

Chloe chucked as she read over the brunette's shoulder. "Wow! She's still Katie. See babe? She's happy to hear from you."

"I'm a little worried about her reaction when I tell her I'm from a different timeline. Does she even know about multiple time streams?"

"Hey, don't worry about it Maxi, she already knows about The Plan™. And to answer your question, yeah, she does. Once I got enough of my own education to understand the details better, I kept her in the loop."

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Hello?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Uh…anyone?

"You should probably answer her, you think?"

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Still here Kate… just a little overwhelmed, u know?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Oh! Sry! It's just that I haven't seen or heard from you since Blackwell.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** ikr? Uh, it’s a little hard to explain. It has to do with the The Plan™  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** … The… ohhhh! I, uhm. I want to call, but I can't talk right now, there's too many people around.

"Let me have it for a minute and go grab your phone." Max handed the phone back and went and retrieved hers from the computer desk where it had been charging.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Katie, it's me Chloe. Do you still have Max's number? Try sending a message pls.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Sure. Hold a sec.

After a few moments a familiar tone pinged on Max's device and she looked down to see Kate's text. The blonde quickly typed on her own phone.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Great! The number still works. Katie, gonna make a group. Stand by.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** k

"Awesome! Can I borrow that for a sec Maxi?" Chloe reached her hand out and a phone was placed into it. She fiddled with it, then focused back on her own. "All set. Go ahead. Say something."

 **Group Text Messages (Max's Phone)**  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Hey Max!  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Yo! Max-iPad we're all here now  
  
**_Super Max:_** Chloe! We are really going to have to work on those nicknames.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** But it's so fun…  
  
**_Super Max:_** Ugh! Hey Kate!  
  
**_Super Max:_** Chloe… 😛  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Like I said, so happy to hear from you!  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Maxi, did you just…  
  
**_Super Max:_** Yes Chlo. I did just… 😏  
  
**_Super Max:_** Kate, there's so much to tell you. But there's also some strange stuff too  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** It's ok Max, I already know a lot of it. You can tell me anything  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** No…  
  
**_Super Max:_** Kate, I know you and Chloe kept an eye on me but… hang on…  
  
**_Super Max:_** You don't like it Chlo? 💙 What are you gonna do about it? 😛  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Emoji…  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Hey Chloe… 🤣  
  
**_Super Max:_** … Kate, I'm not the same Max you know.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** I… uh, what do you mean?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Katie!?? Not fair! Two against one! Uhgg… Fiiiiinnnne.  
  
**_Super Max:_** Kate, I don't really know how to explain it. I'm… Uh, Chloe says she told you about her theories regarding time streams, right?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Yes, Max, she did. Not that I'm an expert. Why?  
  
**_Super Max:_** K. Because I'm Max from a different stream. Sry.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Max, don't say sorry. Were you my friend in your time stream?  
  
**_Super Max:_** ??  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Max?  
  
**_Super Max:_** I was. You were my best friend at Blackwell.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Then you're my friend here too and I'm sure we have a lot of catching up to do. 💕  
  
**_Super Max:_** Yeah, we do. I have so much to tell you.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Shoot… gtg in a couple minutes… Where are you?  
  
**_Super Max:_** Seattle.  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Really?! I'm in Portland! We need to meet up! 😊😊😊  
  
**_Super Max:_** I'm in if Chloe is.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Are you kidding?? When do we leave?  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** I'm free all weekend, and my place is big enough for all of us.  
  
**_Super Max:_** That works for me. Chloe?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Classes don't start for two more weeks. Let's do it!  
  
**_Katie Marshie:_** Sooo excited! I can't wait to see you both! 🤗🤗 gtg now.  
  
**_Super Max:_** Me too! We'll work out the details soon! See ya Kate!  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** It's gonna rock! Bye Katie!

The blonde set her phone down, flopped across Max's lap, and put her hands behind her head for support. Facing up towards her girlfriend's cute face she smiled with delight. "See Mega Max, I told you there wasn't anything to worry about."

The brunette smiled back at her relaxing companion. "Yeah, you were right. Oh my Dog! I can't believe it… Kate! I can't wait to see her!" She could barely contain her excitement.

"I know, it'll be great! We'll just take the train down and hang with her for the weekend."

A bit of a more serious look moved across Max's face. "I guess that means we really should finish catching me up. We're now on a schedule." Then her smile returned as she enjoyed the warmth of the taller girl's body laying across her. She gently played with loose strands of blonde hair.

"Well, we still have to go over the…" Chloe paused for a moment to make sure her friend was ok. "…Dark Room part. And like I said before, it was pretty bad. I mean, I still have problems with it sometimes."

"I think I'd still like to hear it, but I don't know Chlo'. It's been such a good day."

"That it has, Maximum Cuteness. That is has." She glanced back at her phone. It was past 1am. "Look, it's already getting late anyway, and I didn't get much sleep the night before. Do you want to call it a night?"

The shorter girl stretched her neck to glance at the time as well and then chuckled. "Wait. You go to bed at one in the morning? Since when? I remember staying up with you until three of four in the morning."

"What!?? Things change Max… I have responsibilities now, and gawwwd, some of the homework is really draining!"

"Oh my! Whatever will happen to your street cred?"

"Hey dork! I've still got it!"

"Do you? I have a difficult time imagining my beautiful, tough, fearless, tattooed, Punk™ Pirate Captain having to be…" Max grinned down at the gorgeous girl's face and winked.

The ex-Punk™ looked on in dismay, she had an idea of what was coming her way. "Uh… don't… please…"

"Responsible…" She giggled and poked her girlfriend in the ribs, just in the right spot.

"Seriously?" The taller girl jumped with the contact.

"Reliable…" Poke, giggle, giggle.

"Max, stop." She started to squirm, but her tormenter wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Dependable…" Poke. Her giggles were becoming uncontrollable.

"Come on… please!"

"Sensible…" Poke. She couldn't hold it in anymore. "HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

"Maaaaaax!!!" She wiggled as a second arm joined the first and held her close.

"HA! HA! HA! I'm cereal, Chloe! My, " she raised her hands to make air quotes, "tall, tough Punk-ass™ girlfriend," she put her hands back around her victim, "is just a great big, adorable, goopy, sexy… NERD! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

Chloe laid there suddenly still and stared back with wide, deep blue eyes at the hysterical freckled girl and waited for her to calm down. All the while, a smile slowly formed into the biggest grin of her life. Moments later, a quiet calm filled the room as both focused on the other once more.

"Did you say… sexy?"

Pink tinted her freckled cheeks as Max's eyes widened as well. She knew exactly what she had said and was pleased of herself for her confidence. "I did… and you so hella are."

The blonde chuckled a bit. "Hella." She chuckled again, "I love it when you use that word. I love everything about you, Max. I love you so much."

"I love you too Chlo, with all my heart." She gave her companion a light kiss but interrupted herself as she yawned deeply.

The blonde chuckled again. "Time to get some rest?"

"Yeah. Uh… Will you stay with me?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way babe."

The two girls got up from the couch, tidied up the remnants of wine and dinner while each stayed as close to the other as much as possible. Once complete, Chloe retrieved her backpack and then the brunette led them to the bedroom to go about their evening routines.

Max paused at the threshold of the door and watched on as her girlfriend moved into the bathroom. ' _My girlfriend! Chloe is my girlfriend!_ ' She smiled, bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet then walked in and slowly closed the bedroom door before joining her companion.

It had been a **hella** good day.


	7. Sailing Dangerous Waters

**July 17, 2016 (Z + 8)**

Lightning flashed again outside followed moments later by rolling crashes of thunder which rattled the windows. The wheelchair-bound woman sat, as usually was the case, in front of her workstation intent on finishing her tasks. Dozens of windows displayed scrolling figures and numbers as she hammered at the keys attached to her armrest.

She paused briefly to stretch and relax her fingers. They had started to cramp with the effort, as the therapy she completed just weeks before had given them new life. ' _Just one more sequence…_ ' Her thoughts were interrupted by deafening noise as hail the size of golf balls began to slam into the roof. She resumed typing and the sound of the mechanical keyboard competed with the storm forming an eerie rhythm which emphasized the situation's direness. Her eyes flicked to the countdown and she snorted lightly as she noted ninety seconds remained. Her fingers blurred to input the last bit of information then she slammed the ENTER key home. It was done, with sixty seconds to spare.

 **Sequence completed**  
59 seconds.

 **Uplink established** The storm grew in strength.  
57 seconds.

 **Coordinates located; beacon aligned**  
45 seconds.

 **Uploading data (0% completed)**  
42 seconds.

 **Uploading data (0% completed)** The woman held her breath.  
39 seconds.

 **Uploading data (0% completed)** ' _Come on! Come on!_ ' The lightning and thunder were almost continuous. A window cracked.  
35 seconds.

 **Uploading data (1% completed)** The scientist rolled her eyes impatiently, "you've got to be fucking kidding me!"  
30 seconds.

 **Uploading data (10 % completed)** The house shook.  
28 seconds.

 **Uploading data (30 % completed)**  
26 seconds.

 **Uploading data (53 % completed)**  
23 seconds.

 **Uploading data (76 % completed)**  
21 seconds. 

Hail broke through the window and the hurricane force winds howled through, picking up anything in the room that wasn't firmly attached. Even though her strawberry blonde hair whipped around it didn't change the woman's concentration.

 **Uploading data (99 % completed)**  
18 seconds.

 **Uploading data (99 % completed)**  
17 seconds.

 **Uploading data (99 % completed)** ' _It's gonna be close._ '  
16 seconds.

 **Uploading data (99 % completed)**  
15 seconds.

 **Upload completed. Transmitting…**  
10 seconds.

 **Transmission completed. Have a nice day!**  
7 seconds.

Even with the storm continuing its assault, Dr. Chloe Elizabeth Price PhD, one of the most accomplished young astrophysicists in the world, let out a final sigh of relief and closed the last window on her screen. Her task, one she'd focused upon for many years, was finally complete. She relaxed and gazed upon the image of herself and Max that had been on her PC's background since the beginning. A rebellious smirk formed on her face as the seconds ticked to zero.

"We got this, Max…" Those were the last words she ever said.

Chaos reclaimed reality at exactly the right time and the gap left behind nudged two events ever closer. The only remaining legacy was a weak signal, a pattern of anomalies that rippled outward across six dimensions. _The Flag_ had been passed forward once again.

* * *

**March 11, 2074 (Z + 66)  
Mid-afternoon **

Beep… Beep… Beep…

The grey-haired lady wheeled herself over to her computer to see a new notification. Apparently, the receiver had detected more signals. It was a nice surprise for her birthday and gave her something new to work on. She typed in her password to allow the program to run.

Incoming data… 

More keys were tapped as she entered a query to the ML algorithm she'd written. The results took a couple of minutes to come back as the processors crunched enormous quantities of numbers. Then, a new window displayed the fruits of their labor and the outcome seemed favorable as her eyes lit like beacons and a grin covered her face. She studied the equations closely… they'd finally gotten the missing elements. She looked at it again to make sure her imagination wasn't playing tricks. It wasn't. The equations she'd spent a lifetime deriving were finally solved. She could hardly contain her excitement but entered a new query to satisfy her curiosity.

 **Statistics**  
Evolution # 113  
Iteration # 63  
Last Timestamp 17-07-2016 (Z + 8) [1789140582]  
Time spent (years) 8  
Cumulative (years) 507

The smile almost split her face in two. "Well, well, well. Nicely done Captain, a PhD at such a young age too." She let pride wash over herself with good reason; each of the Captains were literally a piece of the same person. She looked at the readout again, "And just in time it seems." With a couple more keystrokes she set the computer to calculate new date and time coordinates for the next phase, and then opened another document on her computer to record the latest event. It was a manuscript that would be included with The Plan™ in the hopes that it would help convince its final recipients. It was addressed specifically to the First Mate, and not to be opened until the proper moment. She added the following to a long list of previous entries:

Chloe Elizabeth _'Bluebeard'_ Price  
PhD, Captain  
63rd Commander S.S. Arcadia Bay  
Retired with Distinction July 17th, 2016 (Z + 8)  
_Your actions are a debt that cannot be repaid, and you will never be forgotten; so say we all._

Signed this day, March 11, 2074 (Z + 66)  
Chloe Elizabeth _'Bluebeard'_ Price  
PhD, Commodore, CO  
Fleet Commander Arcadia Bay

After adding her signature to the note, self-appointed head of the fleet closed the document just in time for the computer complete it's processing and read out the coordinates of which she commented out loud.

"January 3rd, 2018. Damn! You've been through so much hell." She continued to read the analysis, understanding its predictions and outcomes. A single eyebrow raised in delight. "Ohhhh! First Mate, you are sooooo gonna love this. Just hang on a bit longer."

The old fingers danced across the keyboard yet again as she typed two new sets of orders and added it to the beginning of the dataset; making sure to annotate it with the proper Captain's signature. She had several roles to play, the two most important of which were the ones for the First Mate, and the other for number 64; mixing them up could be… embarrassing to say the least. But it was her job as architect of The Plan™ she'd developed all for the purpose of minimizing the impacts, keeping variables as close to constant as possible, and above all guiding The Plan™ to its desired outcome. Neither recipient could know of her true identity--not yet anyway—without adding unnecessary risk. She pressed the submit button and relaxed in her wheelchair. It was _The End of the Beginning_.

* * *

**January 04, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Max’s place  
Seattle  
Morning**

' _It had been a **hella** good day_'. 

That was her final thought last night and it was the first thing on her mind as morning light broke in through the shades. The brunette calmly glanced across the bed and beheld her still sleeping companion who was highlighted in the sunlight's golden glow. _'My Chloe_ ,' she thought as her arm quested blindly behind her for the camera she'd set on the nightstand. Meticulously framing her beauty, Max clicked the button that captured the scene for all time. She checked the image on the camera's screen and then, satisfied with the result, slowly placed it down, careful not to wake the love of her life, then settled down again on her side. She gazed longingly at the messy-haired blonde who'd kicked most of the bedcovers off during the night, and let her eyes gradually follow the taller girl's shape from her feet, along her long legs, across her hips, up her torso, lingered a bit on her chest, traced the outline of her wonderful tattoo along her exposed arm, before moving onward past her neck to settle on her partner's striking face. ' _She's so beautiful!_ ' She watched her slowly inhale and exhale through slightly parted lips and saw small eye movements between closed lids; a dream within a dream so to speak. Subjectively, time slowed to a crawl as Max's entire being became gripped in the enchantment that was her Chloe. The brunette let her eyes trail back downward along the body's length, once again lingering, maybe a bit longer than expected, on the girl's chest as it rose and fell.

"Perv much?" 

Immediately the brunette's gaze snapped back to the breathtaking face only to be met by a matching pair looking back. Her own eyes went wide with surprise and embarrassment while the other's remained sleepy, but with a hint of mischief. Red tinted the smaller girl's cheeks, and with a shrill squeak she fled to the protection of the blankets to hide herself. The blonde thought a few moments later she heard a muffled voice, but it could have been her imagination.

"What was that, creeper-Max?"

Another muted sound came from under the pile as it contracted into a small ball. A portion of the lump hid itself under a pillow for additional protection.

"Oh, come on Max…" a questing finger poked at the ball a couple of times, "you're not shy around me… are you?" The tall girl threw herself on the lump, wrapping her slender arms around it to trap her butterfly in its cocoon. Struggling ensued almost immediately as muted shrieks sounded from her captive. Eventually, after much wriggling a small hole opened and a pair of sapphire jewels peered from within, they were met once again by matching ones framed in frizzy fly-away blonde hair.

"Morning Cutie-Max."

"Hey…"

Careful hands slowly expanded the gap in the covers to reveal freckled cheeks that were tinged in pink, and static filled brunette hair that followed the blanket's every move. The operation to extract Max from the pile continued until nothing remained hiding the embarrassed girl. Then the same careful hands tenderly lifted her chin so both companions could look upon the other.

"How can you be so adorable, Super Max?" The taller girl leaned her forehead on the other's; the tips of their noses barely touching. "I mean, one second you're almost ready to attack me, teasing me to no end which, by the way, is hella hot," she waggled her eyebrows and gave the brunette an enticingly light kiss; just barely a brush of the lips, "and this morning you're like, hiding under the pillows." She gave the girl another kiss, this time longer than before. Then ever so slowly she pulled back and whispered in the confused girl's ear, "And I love you either way. Don't. Ever. Change. Not one bit." 

Max looked longingly at her girlfriend while her emotions swirled in her mind. She couldn't speak; she could hardly think except about the focus of her affection. The blonde was her whole universe and the only one that truly mattered. While blue eyes stared fondly back at her, the brunette's heart hammered at her chest, her palms became sweaty, and heat rose from the tips of her toes all the way to the topmost part of her head. She had no way to describe how Chloe affected her the way she did but last night she'd decided to let it happen, and so she didn't resist. She allowed herself to re-fall in love, if that was possible, with her perfect match. In the timespan of only moments, which seemed to last for an infinite duration, she did so over and over. She was in the presence of perfection and she sat there staring with her mouth slightly open, unmoving. She didn't care. Everything she needed was right in front of her. She tried to speak.

"I…" The word came out in a quiet peep. "I…" Her girlfriend looked on with patience she watched as a mischievous smirk made its presence known. The brunette tried once again. "I've… I'm," she let out a heavy sigh and collected her thoughts for a few seconds. "I mean, uhm… It's just that even though I've known you like forever I'm not sure how to… you know…"

"Hey, don't worry, Maxi, it's still me, yeah?"

"No, no! That's not what I mean, uh… I think. It is, but… I don't know how to describe it."

"Take your time. I told you yesterday, and I'll keep telling you, I'm not going anywhere."

Electricity from Chloe's words arced across every nerve ending, connecting every synapse of Max's being "See? Right there! What you said just now. It makes me feel… How? How do you do it?"

"How do I do what?"

"Uh… Make me react like this, it's incredible and it makes me want to, I… I don't know… I feel like my heart is going to burst every time you speak. I want to cry, but I… it's like… Dog! I can't explain it."

"Max, the taller girl began, collecting her girlfriend in a warm embrace, pulling her across her lap and holding her. Their eyes were still locked as she maneuvered to provide a kiss that would give the younger girl more confidence. "You don't have to explain it. Just tell Doctor Chloe what you're feeling." She ran her fingers through brown hair, scraping her fingernails lightly along the scalp. The caressing soothed and relaxed her worried partner.

"I don't know how to act any more, I'm all over the place. One second, I think I have everything figured out, and the next my confidence just disappears. I mean, I look at all the shit we… uh… I went through. And now I'm here with you and I can't stop thinking about it. After all this time, I finally got you back. And… and, it feels like this," she gestured between the two, "is like a dream, and then I'm going to wake up and none of it will have been real and you'll still be gone. I told myself yesterday that I had to stop thinking this bad shit, but it's just so unbelievable, the whole series of events. It makes me question everything over and over… Is…" She paused not wanting to say the words.

"Max, I know what you're thinking. Go ahead and ask, you need to get it out. Remember, no secrets." 

" I… Is this real? Are you real?"

The blonde smiled, leaned in and kissed her girlfriend passionately, so much so that quiet moans emanated from her companion whose arms wrapped around her neck automatically. Her lips lingered, still touching as they breathed heavily. "Does that seem like a dream?"

"Of the **_best_** kind," the breathless girl replied, "… Wowsers!" They remained held together and gazed into the blue windows that opened into the vast, limitless depths of their souls. "I don't want this to ever end."

"Neither do I, babe. And it won't now that we're together."

"You're gonna have to get used to my, uhm, baggage. I mean, right now I can't even find the words to tell you how happy I am, but everything else beforehand was pretty shitty."

"Dude, I get that. It hasn't all been great for me either."

"But you're so…" 

"So what, Maximus? Smart, awesome, hella hot," the blonde paused with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "sexy?"

The smaller girl blushed again; a deep crimson covered her entire face which she hid in the crook of her girlfriend's shoulder before replying. "Chloeeee… stop! You're doing it again, and it's making me want to… Oh my Dog! I want… the things I… uuuugh! Why is this so hard?"

"HA! HA! You! Are! So! Max! You haven't changed a bit! You know why I'm doing this don't you?"

Max looked back more seriously at her blonde girlfriend, her blush still showing, "Because you're an asshole?"

"Well, yeah… duh! But also, because as your best friend, Captain, and now **_girlfriend_** ," she emphasized the word and paused to let it sink in, "it is my job and duty to tease you mercilessly; even more than when we were kids, and it is a task I take very seriously. If you think about it that way, nothing has really changed. Has it?"

"I take that back, Chlo. You are not just an asshole; you are **_the_** asshole."

"Yup, that's me, and I hold the title proudly."

"How can you be so confident? I mean look at me, I'm a wreck!"

"But a cute wreck, Max. Don't forget that. You may think you're broken but that's cool, I'll put you back together. One. Piece. At. A. Time." She booped the younger girl's nose punctuating each word before continuing, "But I'm not all that confident just so you know."

"Uhhhhh! You keep doing this to me! Why does it seem like nothing phases you? You're so… strong."

"Listen Maxi, I know you've been through shit, but you have to remember I've been part of The Plan™ for so long, five years in fact, that I've had to put aside a lot of my own feelings, shit my entire personality, ego, and everything, just to assume the role I had to play. I still break down, just like I told you last night. You know, like when I started talking about Rachel? Look, I'm not gonna lie Max," the blonde took a breath, "just thinking about what she means to me and what happened to her in the end makes me want to cry. Right now, I can almost feel it happening, but at the same time, with you here, it all seems easier to handle. What we talked about before we crashed helped a lot too, it was hella awesome. So yeah, I have my own wreckage to deal with, and you have yours. We'll have good days and bad days dealing with all of it, and some shit we'll keep having to revisit over and over like we're doing now."

Max nodded in agreement. "Do you want to talk about it some more?"

"Yeah actually I do, because there's seriously messed up stuff that you need to know. But before we do, I think I need one thing." She looked hungrily at the cute brunette once again, whose eyes became wide with anticipation; the blush that had faded started to return.

"Uh… what do you… need?" 

Chloe leaned in gently until her gorgeous blue-eyed face filled her companion's entire vision; so very close, yet their lips remained teasingly out of reach. The blonde paused for a few moments, and then slowly her smirk reappeared.

"Coffee." Her smirk became a toothy, satisfied grin.

"You are such a shit!"

Chloe winked. "Yeah, I am." With that said, she gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips, sprang from the bed, and raced towards the bathroom. "Dibs on the shower!"

Not to be outdone, the shorter girl launched herself in pursuit only a fraction of a second behind. "Not fair! You can't just…"

"Aye First Mate I can, remember the code; dem be dah rules! Yer too slow to beat Captain Bluebeard!"

' _The game is afoot!_ ' Max thought as she and Chloe gleefully poked, shoved, and otherwise vied for control of the shower, ' _It's a good way start to the morning._ '

It was indeed a **_hella_** good way to kick off the day.

* * *

As coffee gurgled and brewed its life-giving liquid into the awaiting urn, the two women set about an inventory of foodstuffs that would be suitable for breakfast. Unlike Chloe's own cabinets, Max's were well stocked as was the refrigerator; more than needed for the apartment's single occupant. It surprised the shorter of the two in a pleasant way. She'd not been much for keeping a full pantry even just a couple of days prior; it hadn't mattered given her generally poor mental health. But in this new time stream, the Max she had replaced seemed to have had a different approach. She commented as such as she laid eggs, heavy cream, and fresh vegetables on the countertop for her companion.

"You know, the previous me seems to have had a very different life than I expected." Her statement was casual and conversational.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, just looking here, " she pointed into the still open fridge, "she seems to know how to cook for one thing. Why else would she have all this food?"

"Oh, wait… you don't cook? We used to do it all the time."

"Not really, no. I… well, I wasn't in the best frames of mind you know? I basically took it one day at a time. Like, I still know my way around the kitchen, but it just didn't seem important then." Her voice remained calm and measured. ' _I feel like I can really talk about it,_ ' she reflected, ' _without getting down on myself. At least as long as Chloe is here._ '

"No worries, I still have the mad skillz in the kitchen I got from Mom. You remember when we were kids? With us together again, we'll get you back to cooking in no time."

"I remember… You think you can throw together an omelet or two with this?" The brunette gestured to the ingredients.

"Ask and you shall receive, Super Max. Watch and learn!" The taller girl set about with preparing their breakfast; chopping vegetables, cracking eggs and whisking them with a small amount of cream, while Max searched for a skillet and the rest of the hardware needed to cook and serve the meal. Soon, they were working smoothly together like a team who'd never been apart, each knowing automatically when the other needed something. As the brunette passed a pepper mill into Chloe's awaiting hand, she reflected on how quickly they had started to mesh.

"I can't help thinking she was right." She turned back towards the countertop where she was placing plates and utensils.

"Who was right, babe?" The taller girl remained focused on preparing the meal.

"Well, her… uh… **_you_** were right. The one that sent that book I mean." She reached into the cooler and extracted orange juice, which she then poured into glasses. "She said I would find what I sought but that I had to wait until yesterday."

"What were you seeking?"

The shorter girlfriend set the remaining utensils aside, quickly crossed the gap between the two and from behind wrapped her arms tightly around the focus of her complete affection. "You." She nuzzled her face into Chloe's side, "It's always been you; I was just too weak to see it. But just so we're clear, I'm never letting you go again. Like I told you before, at the lighthouse, you are still and will be forever more my number one priority."

"Goopy Max, real goopy." The blonde turned off the stovetop, set down a spatula, and rotated her body to face the brunette. "It almost sounded like…" A twinkle shone in her eyes and once again she couldn't help but smirk.

"…sounded like… what?"

The taller girl's glimmering eyes burst with mischief at the _too good to pass up_ predicament within which she'd caught her companion. She inched her face closer once again, noses barely touching, eyes locked together, and knowing that what she was about to say she truly meant, even though at the moment it would be taken in jest.

"Yes."

The shorter girl refocused for a moment and became confused, maybe because it was still early, and she hadn't had her own coffee yet. "Uh… Yes? Yes, what?"

"I accept." She could hardly keep her composure and her body quivered with excitement.

"You… ac… accept what? I'm not follow… wait… I, uh… what? You accept?" The puzzled girl scrunched her face in continued confusion that eventually evolved into concentration for many seconds until it finally dawned upon her. "W… What!?????" She leaned back from the other, trying to get a better view of the beautiful women she was holding. "I didn't… I… no that's not… wait… you thought… shit! Uh… well yeah, I mean." She finally gave up as she stared wide-eyed and speechless into her girlfriend's cobalt eyes.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Damn, babe! You don't waste time! HA! HA! Do you? HA! HA! HA! Oh my god! HA! HA!" The taller girl wrapped her arms around the shorter girl and laughed her ass off, and after the shock wore off her girlfriend couldn't help but join in. They laughed until tears were falling and only slowed to eventually catch their breath. Finally, they collected themselves, wiped each other's tears away and finished preparing breakfast. Each occasionally snickered and tried to catch quick glances at their partner when they suspected the other wasn't watching; it never succeeded, they were too much in sync.

"Stop!"

"You stop!" 

More giggling ensued as the cook served the eggs while her girlfriend poured coffee. They both met almost simultaneously and sat comfortably next to each other to have their meal.

"Did you really think…"

"No, I knew you didn't mean it that way but think about how you said it." She repeated the words using a poor attempt to sound like Max, " _…you are still and will be forever more my number one priority._ "

The brunette turned showing a clearly fake shocked expression, "I do NOT sound like that!"

"How about this?" The blonde modulated her voice again in an even worse Max-like manner " _…you are still and will be **forever more** my number one priority._" The sound was high-pitched and squeaky.

"Chloe!???!!!"

The taller girl waved her arms gently to show her companion she was done, though her grin said the opposite. "Alright Maximus, alright. I'll stop."

"How can we be doing this so easily? I mean, look at us, it's like we're still kids. You were merciless then, and it's only gotten worse now."

"Maybe I've been holding it all back, yeah? Like pent up frustration and emotion and now we're both here; I mean you do make an easy target, you always have. It's one of the many things I love about you." The blonde thought quietly for a few moments before continuing, "You mad, Max? Did I go too far? Too quickly?"

"No, not too far. Not really, now that I hear my own words," the brunette gave a little smirk back at the overly pleased girl, "it was actually pretty hilarious. Were you serious though? Did you really believe I was proposing to you?"

"Max, you know, and I know that we can read each other like open books. I knew you weren’t serious, but I'll tell you something, I meant it."  
"What? You mean?"

"Yup Maxi, when the time is right and after we take care of all this shit. No rush."

The matched pair sat quietly for a while eating their respective breakfasts; occasionally one would glance at the other and almost always find their companion looking back. Each would giggle and quickly turn back to their food. The girls continued in this manner throughout the meal, eventually cleaning up their dishes and returning to the couch snuggled next to each other holding large cups of coffee.

"You okay if I continue where I left off?"

"Sure. Do you need anything else beforehand?"

"Only this." The blonde kissed the top of Max's head which made the shorter girl sigh.

"And you call me goopy."

"I do, but I am too when it comes to you. Ok, where was I?"

"You had talked about how you recruited Kate, who I still can't believe you convinced, but was probably the best choice."

"We made quite a good team, especially since she shared some classes with you and was just across the hallway in the dorms. Anyway, there were two incidents that you were involved with and Kate was instrumental in helping to resolve. It all started the week before, you know, _Hell Week_ as you call it. There was this party."

"Party… you mean like the party Friday night?"

"Yeah, that one."

"But… that's the one where Kate…"

"I know, you said. But this time it wasn't Kate."

"Oh?"

The blonde kissed her girlfriend softly on the cheek and wrapped her long arms around her. "It was you. But hang on, are you sure you want to hear this. It's… disturbing."

Max looked back at the love of her life, "It's ok. I went through the… _that_. I've had five years to deal with it."

"I just don't want you to have like, flashbacks or something."

"If I do, you'll keep me safe, right?"

"You don't even need to ask."

"Ok then, I'll be fine. Let's hear it."

* * *

**_Taking a Break_  
October 4th, 2013 (Z + 5)  
Late afternoon  
Arcadia Bay**

"Mom, did you get the mail yet?" I was standing by the front door getting ready to head out to get a bite to eat. It had been a long day sitting at my desk buried in homework since fucking 4am in the morning. The new coursework was challenging, and I needed a break.

From the other room I heard, "No Chloe, I didn't. Are you heading out?" My Mom had a rare afternoon and evening off, and I wanted to make sure she knew I respected her time away from work, even if it was by doing small things like grabbing the mail.

"Yeah, I'll make sure to grab it when I get back. I shouldn't be more than a couple of hours." I replied as I closed the front door. True fact! I spent a lot more time at home now then the past couple of years combined. It was a safe haven again now that I'd gotten past all the personal shit, made up with Mom, accepted David, and started along The Plan™. But even the comfort of home got to me after hours of nothing but math and physics equations; I was a little stir-crazy and was looking for any excuse to head out. I got into my rust-bucket which looked worse for wear but ran just fine now.

["You still had the same truck?"]

["Yeah, we were gonna use it to make our break from Arcadia Bay. Rachel and I."]

["I know. It's just hard to imagine how many things remained the same, and yet turn out so different like, your truck. You say it ran fine? That's news to me."]

["Yup! David and I worked on it over the summer off and on. I think it was his way of trying to be a real stepdad. I learned a few things about mechanics too, I had no idea how much he knew; I'd only dismissed everything about him until April."]

["So, you got out of the house. What happened?"]

As I was driving down the road, my phone, which I had tossed onto the dash, started buzzing with new text messages which I ignored. I was responsible now and texting and driving had been in the news lately; I wanted no part in those kinds of consequences. So, I cruised around not knowing where I really wanted to go and eventually headed up along the coast. An hour later I was just outside Cannon Beach when my phone went off again so, since I was also getting hungry, I decided to stop and grab a bite. By the way, there’s a small pizza joint there, just a couple of tables inside but the food is awesome. And yeah, before you ask, I parked in a single spot thank you very much. And it wasn't even a handicapped slot either.

["You caught that, did you? When I mentioned it yesterday?"]

["Oh, ye of little faith. Sure, I used to do that shit, but there's too much on the line to have to deal with fines, tickets, court appearances, blah, blah, blah."]

["Chloe the straight and narrow, follower of rules."]

["Well, I'll agree with the rules bit… but straight? Hmmmm… no, I don't think that's quite right now that you're here…"]

["Hey! Ok, ok! I get it. Stop!!! Get back to the, mmmmhhfff… Oh my dog, Chlo! Let me… breathe! Later, we can do that… uhhhhhh… later…"]

After ordering a small pizza for myself I took a look at my phone.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Chloe, are you there?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Hello?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Hello?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** When you get this, please text me back. It’s not an emergency, I don’t think.  
But Max is apparently going to the party tonight.

I read the messages again. Kate didn’t sound worried, but this would be the first time Max had gone to a party. I don't know how to explain it otherwise, but I got this bad feeling and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It was better if we kept a watch over Max, just in case.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Heya, Katie!  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Oh, good, you’re here! Did you read my messages?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Yeah, I did. That seems a little uncharacteristic of Max.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** I know, that’s why I thought you should know.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** When is the party?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** In about an hour.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Hmmm, ok look, I’m in Cannon Beach right now.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Cannon Beach? What are you doing there?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** I had to get out of the house for a while. You know, take a break from  
homework and stuff?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** So, college is kicking your… uhm… ass?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** OMG! Katie, did you just swear in text?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Sorry. It just kinda slipped out. I have a ton of homework too for a Friday night.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** You don’t have to apologize for that! Heck think of it as a technical term.  
But to answer your question, yeah. The physics homework is tough but fun.  
However, the _~~fucking~~ math_ is much harder than I expected.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** What do you want me to do about Max and the party?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Just keep an eye on her, like when she’s there. I've got a bad feeling that I can't  
explain. You ok going to the party?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** I’ve never been to one. I’m not sure what to do.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Really? Alright… look, just go with Max as her friend and watch out for her.  
If I remember right, there’s probably going to be alcohol and other stuff but,  
you don’t have to drink. Stick with water.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Ok, I can do that. But you’re going to come back right? In case something  
happens?  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Yup. I’m going to get my food and head back. I’ll eat along the way.  
Hour and a half, tops. If I’m not there and something goes really wrong, call  
my stepdad. I gave you his number, right?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** I have it. Ok, that makes me feel better. I’ll keep lookout over Max.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Thanks Katie. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Call me if you need; I’ll be driving.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Ok Chloe. Bye  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** See ya soon Katie Kat.

I put down the phone and went over to the order counter to talk with the cashier, a short red head who looked like she was still in high school; she noticed me almost immediately.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" 

"Hey, I ordered a pizza just a couple of minutes ago, and I'm going to need to change it to go."

"Sure, we can do that." The red headed girl replied very eagerly. I remember being that age and not being very enthusiastic but hey, that's in the past.

"How long do you think? I'm in a little bit of a rush all of the sudden."

The girl glanced behind her at the set of hanging tickets and found mine near the end. There were six orders in front of it. "It looks like it'll be about 45 minutes. We've got a bunch of phoned-in orders in front of yours."

"Damn! Is there anything you can do to help me out? I've got to get back to Arcadia Bay as soon as possible."

"Are you from Arcadia Bay? I used to know someone from there, she came around from time to time. As a matter of fact, I met her right here just like you and I are right now."

"Really? It’s a pretty small world, isn't it? What was her name?"

"I don't remember… it's not like we were best friends even though I had the biggest crush on her. She was really pretty, and she could talk and make you feel like you'd known her forever. She was a little taller than me with long blonde hair, and every time I saw her, she was wearing this cool feather earring. What was her name?" She trailed off thinking out loud, "Michelle? Krissy? Wanda? No, that's stupid… no one names their kids Wanda anymore. Reagan? R-R-R, yeah, it started with an R… Rhia… no… Robin…?"

"Rachel," I said flatly; this was going to open a can of worms I really didn't want to deal with right now.

"Oh! Yeah! Rachel. Oh God she was smokin' hot! The HOTTEST! Did you know her? She doesn't come around anymore." The girl looked eagerly at me, obviously looking for news.

"I knew her. We were," the cashier looked at me expectantly, "together. I haven't seen her in almost five months." Red's expression turned gloomy.

"Oh." The cashier pondered for several moments, obviously she was a bit down about hearing no new updates on Rachel's whereabouts; just like I was. "Wait a minute," she looked back at the ticket where my name C. Price was printed on the receipt from the credit card, "are you Chloe? Chloe Price? _The Chloe Price_?! OH! MY! GOD!" She stared at me with wide eyes; in awe.

"Er… yeah, that's me. Uhm, why?"

"Why??! Because Rachel always," the red head was in awe; almost hyperventilating, "talked about you. She said there was this blue-haired Punk™ that had fallen for her, and that she, that is, Rachel had," she stopped talking very quickly; unsure of herself, "… uhm, maybe this is too personal."

What

I really wanted to know what she was thinking so I tried to remain patient and calm. "did she say? Its been five months since I've seen her."

"She wouldn't stop talking about you, every time I saw her, she was like Chloe is awesome, or my blue-haired goddess is so sweet, and on and on. To be honest it kinda' gave me an inferiority complex. You know, just sayin," she laughed a bit and then continued, "but if you haven't seen her in almost half a year, what happened? Where is she?"

"That's the million-dollar question right there. I have no idea. Just one day in late April she just up and left. Gone. No note, no text, nothing."

"That's too bad. I really liked talking with her. She even gave me some cool ideas for a tattoo of my own, though I have to wait until I'm eighteen I guess." Her enthusiasm was returning.

"I don't know what to say. I miss her a whole lot, she was there for me when I needed someone and now, she's gone." To be honest, I was getting a little depressed thinking about it.

"Sorry, look I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, its fine."

"Hey, I'm sorry. It's clear that you and Rachel were quite a thing. I don't know how that feels and it was stupid for me bringing it up."

"Again, its fine. I really don't want to talk about it. Can I just get my pizza please?"

"Oh, oh… sure! No, I didn't mean anything by that. It's just… she was so nice to me and I hardly ever get anyone around here to talk to me like she did. I didn't mean to be rude. Hang on a sec," she turned to the window that lead to the kitchen. "Hey Bob! Can I get number 17 ASAP?" Then she turned back to me.

"I know… it was just a difficult time in my life, and I've been trying to put it past me." I usually wasn't this forward with people I didn't know, but this girl was easy to talk to.

"This may seem a little weird, but can I get your number? I mean, just in case you see Rachel again, or I do? For some reason I really miss her."

"Yeah, more eyes looking out for her the better. "I handed her my phone and she texted herself. "If you find out anything, you let me know, yeah?"

"Of course! Now let me see about your food." I nodded and waited while the red head went into the kitchen. I could see her through the window as she moved from the wood fired oven to a table carrying a just finished pizza. She slid the food onto a cutting board, expertly sliced it and finished it off with fresh basil and a dusting of parmesan cheese. After sliding the order into a box, she returned and handed it to me.

"Don't tell anyone, this is another customer's to-go order. It’s the same pizza as yours but since they're not here to pick it up yet I jumped you to the front of the line."

"Shit! That's awesome. I really appreciate the favor."

"No problem, just text me if you find out anything about Rachel."

"I will. Take care, I gotta go."

"See ya around."

I grabbed some napkins, stuffed them in my pocket and returned to the truck. I got settled, put the food on the passenger's side, and opened it. The smell of fresh cooked pizza filled the compartment as I turned over the engine, backed out, and hit the road. I turned at the last in-town stoplight, merged onto the highway and headed South towards Arcadia Bay. I had an hour's drive in front of me and, after quickly glancing at my phone, the party would already be in progress by the time I returned. I flicked on the radio and tuned to a more mellow than usual channel, grabbed a slice of pizza with one hand, and settled in for the long haul.

["That was nice of her."]

["Yeah Kris helped me out back then. If I think about it, her getting my pizza the way she did got me out the door and back to Arcadia Bay at exactly the right time."]

["Wait, you know her name?"]

["Yeah, her name is kinda memorable right, Kris, Priss?"]

["Ah, Blade Runner. You're such a dork."]

["Sure am, except maybe when compared to you."]

["Obviously."]

["Anyway, we bumped into each other a few times over the years. In fact, I repaid the favor; she's an engineering student at the U right now. Several years ago, I worked at school in the admissions department for some extra money; easy work, data entry. I saw her application cross my boss's desk and asked him to forward it on to the dean of the engineering department. She's due to defend her master's thesis in May. She's really smart."]

["Smarter that you? I still can't believe you have your master's degree. What a nerd you turned out to be."]

["Yup. Not gonna lie, I'm damn proud of it too. I mean, I know it was to learn about all the shit regarding The Plan™ but still, it was a lot of work and I did it. And shit, I'm not just any nerd, Maxi, I am _The Nerd_ , and a hot one at that."]

["And humble too, I see. Some things never change, and you've always been the hottest. So, you drove back to the Bay?"]

["Yeah, it was uneventful until I got close."]

["What happened?"]

* * *

_**Missing Max**  
**October 4 th, 2013 (Z + 5)**  
**Evening**  
**Arcadia Bay** _

I was about fifteen minutes out from Arcadia Bay when my phone buzzed, causing it to dance around on the dashboard. I drove on, looking for a place to pull over as it repeated buzzing several times. Finally, around a bend there was a scenic overlook of the coast and I used it to park. I wiped my slightly greasy hands on my pants and grabbed my phone. It was Kate. 

**Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Chloe, we're at the party and something weird is going on. Text me.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Please text me as soon as you can.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Chloe?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Hello?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Max is acting strange. It's like she's drunk.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** I just pulled over. What's going on?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Max is acting funny. I've never seen her like this before.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** What do you mean?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** She's laughing a lot, stumbling around and hanging onto people she doesn't  
even know. It's completely unlike her.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Sounds like she's having a good time, I don't see what's wrong with that.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Oh my God! She just kissed someone!  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Alright! She's really having a good time.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** You don't understand! She kissed… er… they're still doing so… he's grabbing…  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Who?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Nathan. He's all over her and she doesn't seem to care.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Ok, you're right, that doesn't sound like Max. She'd never do that.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** What do I do? This is really the first party I've ever been to.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Stick with her. Do you think you can try to intervene? Get between them?  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** I can try.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Good. Go get her and try to separate them.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Ok. How long until you're here? I really need some help.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** Fifteen minutes.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** Please hurry.  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** I'm on my way. Hang in there. Just don't let her out of your sight.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** K. Bye.

Shit! Shit! Shit! I threw my phone back on the dash, looked behind me to make sure the road was clear and then floored the gas, fishtailing in a spray of gravel. I got a bad feeling about what I had just learned from Kate and needed to get back as soon as possible. The trees along the side of the road blurred as I sped down the road, I was taking a risk of getting pulled over. The earlier version of me wouldn't have given a damn, but I had more responsibilities and goals now and it wouldn't do Max or Kate any good if I got stopped when I was this close. I was only doing ten miles over the limit; surely that would be fine.

Rounding the bend ten minutes later I saw a distant but familiar beam swing my way. The guardian of the bay was guiding me home. I was almost there, and it took a lot of discipline to keep my speed reasonable. My phone buzzed again, and I grabbed it, breaking one of my own rules. I needed to know what was going on, so I worked the device with one hand and kept the other firmly on the wheel. I slowed down and glanced at the screen.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** I can't find her! I looked away for just a second and she's gone!  
  
**_Cap'n Chloe:_** K. I'm almost there. 3 minutes tops.  
  
**_Katie Kat:_** I'm gonna see if she went into the bathroom. Hurry.

I pressed my foot to the floor as I passed the sign welcoming me back to Arcadia Bay. The truck lurched forward like it was kicked from behind by an angry giant. I blew past a stop light, shit! It had been red. I got lucky that time, there was no one coming the other way. Finally, I saw the road that would take me to Blackwell, and I took the corner fast enough to almost flip the pizza box, which would have made a mess. At the last moment, I grabbed the box to keep it from launching its contents across the truck's cabin. I slowed down after that.

* * *

"Really, Chlo? You were worried about the pizza?" 

"Hey! It was hella good, and I was starving and tired. Honestly, while I had a bad feeling about what was happening to other-you, I didn't have enough information except that Kate couldn't find you." 

"I see where this is going… Captain… Ma'am. Your First Mate is really only first in title. I think I'll just pout a bit about being a second-class crew member." 

"Don't get like that cutie. You know I think you're higher up the food-chain than that, right? You're very… edible." 

"Chloe!!!! That is not where I was going. Oh my dog!!!" 

"Ha ha! Made you blush! Look at how red you are, and don't think I don't know how you really feel." 

"Er… well… uhm, yeah. I mean… someday… maybe. You are my… girlfriend." 

"You are so adorable when you're flustered! This is so much fun." 

"Stop! Come on, please. Just… just get back to the story." 

"Ok, ok. You'll never guess what happened just before I arrived at Blackwell." 

"Go on, tell me." 

"Rachel." 

"What!????" 

"Yup, she was right there. Plain as day." 

"Wow Chlo! How does that make you feel?" 

The blonde got a slightly concerned look on her face. "You know I am totally in love with you Max-iPad" 

"I don't know… when you use that nickname…" 

"What? Max, you know your name plus iPad? You're an Apple original! What's wrong with that? Everyone loves Apple iProducts." 

"Hee hee, yeah maybe you're right. Except… somehow, I don't think that's how you're pronouncing it. Max eye-Pad or Max ee-Pad. Hmmm. I wonder." 

The taller girl bumped her shoulders with the brunette. "Maximus! I would never in my life insinuate something like… just the thought…" The blonde grinned unconvincingly at her companion. 

"Sure you wouldn't. I totally trust that you'd never in your life say something like that to your First Mate. Look me in the eye and tell me that." The freckled brunette locked her steel blue eyes directly onto the older girl's face, daring her to refute her claim. 

"I…" Chloe smirked, but conceded and looked away, only to be tackled by her girlfriend. A long, deep kiss ensued, and it sent shivers along her entire length, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. It was one of the best kisses she'd ever had, not even Rachel compared to its megawatt power from the only person that had ever really mattered. Her Max. 

"So, tell me… What happened with Rachel?" 

"Well, it was really surreal…"


	8. Rough Seas

**July 2075 (Z+67)  
Dinner time**

"I got it. Go on, I'll bring the heavy stuff while you pour the wine."

The old woman wheeled over to the dinner table where food was being placed. It was nice to have some company, especially with her old friend. It had taken all afternoon to prep given her disability, but the smells of perfectly roasted meat, garlic, and spices filling the air made it all worth the effort. She reached for the red wine, one she'd found but reserved for a special occasion, and filled two glasses half-way. The oaky beverage, with just a hint of blueberry, would complement tonight's meal well.

"How long has it been?" Her old friend asked while slicing the tenderloin.

"More than I care to think about. But it's not about me tonight, it's about you."

"That's sweet… but still we've been working on this project for years, well, mostly you that is. And you need to take a break once in a while."

"You've said. Many times."

"And I'll keep saying. It won't do anyone any good if you have a breakdown." The woman at the counter set the carving knife down, placed the trimmed meat on a platter and grabbed it and a steaming bowl of garlic mashed potatoes and brought their dinner to the table. She quickly turned back for the grilled asparagus, returned and sat at the table with her friend to her left.

Now both seated, the wheelchair-bound woman handed a glass to her companion and raised her own. "Cheers." They clinked glasses, sipped the bold red wine, and dug into their meal.

"So, has anything happened since March? I mean nowadays, the lab kinda runs itself. You hardly even need me."

The old woman in the wheelchair chuckled lightly. "Everything's been quiet since a year ago last March."

"A year? Shit, time sure does fly. What happened if you don't mind me asking the oh-so-accomplished Dr. Price?"

The scientist giggled at the little quip. It really was nice to see her friend in person instead of via Skype. "Yeah, time does indeed go by. Some parts of The Plan™ seem to run on automatic once everything is put in motion. However, I got some new data just this morning. I was waiting until later to show you. You're just as much a part of this whole thing as anyone. In short, she did it."

"You're joking. Chloe did it?"

"Yup. She's the first one, out of over a hundred trials. There's finally enough knowledge and skill and she made a breakthrough. The effects came in last night and I looked them over. She can change the past in her own timeline."

"How did she do it?"

"She figured the constants and that certain points in time could act as an anchor. In fact, she couldn't have done it without Dad's _special_ situation, and yours."

"Oh. You mean the ' _Fixed Point in Time_ ' shit? The fact that some things can't be changed?"

"Yeah. But the FPT allowed her to reduce the variables so the signal made it all the way back this time. Look on the bright side, without you and Dad none of this would be possible."

"That's true, and at least I'm here in this stream and doing my part."

"But only this stream, it's different than the others. Everywhere else you either never existed or died that day. Same with Dad, though for some reason he always existed, just there's no stream anymore where he's alive." The scientist slumped her shoulders. Talking about her Dad always did that to her.

"Yeah. Well, " Trying to improve the current mood in the room, the woman's companion perked up a bit, "I guess that means ' _There can be only one._ '"

"Ha! Did you just quote…"

"Highlander. Yeah."

"What is it with you and ancient movies? That one was before we were even born."

"I donno. I guess I just like the classics. Anyway, if what you're saying is true that's fantastic news and a hella unique birthday present; considering the work we've put in."

"It is. It's the first real indication that the entire theory is correct. But are you really surprised?"

The woman to her right rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not. I should have expected it, after all, you are Dr. Chloe Elizabeth Price, PhD extraordinaire, Pirate Captain of Space and Time and all that shit."

"Commodore actually. You gotta keep your facts straight."

"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting. Duh. You're playing pirates, even after all these years?"

"Pirates are awesome! Might as well have fun; especially when sometimes it sucks ass."

"I guess you're right. We've been through the good and the bad, haven't we?"

"Yup. At least right now everything seems to be going smoothly."

"True. I'm glad to be a part of it. Oh, and thanks for dinner. It's nice to visit, just wish it could last longer."

"Me too, but we all have our things to do remember, for The Plan™. For now, though, I propose a toast." The woman in the wheelchair raised her glass and her companion did the same.

"To my old friend. Happy birthday, Rach."

The ring of two wineglasses tapped together sounded throughout the room; the two friends sipped their wine and then focused back on dinner.

* * *

**January 04, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Max’s place  
Seattle  
Lunchtime**

"Why don't I make something to eat first. We've been sitting here all morning catching up." The brunette stood from the couch, made her way to the kitchen and started putting together some simple sandwiches.

"That's a good idea, I'm starving."

"You're always starving dork. Some things never change."

"Well, yeah, duh. Do you need any help?"

"No. Not really…" The phone rang interrupting the shorter girl. "Chlo, can you get that?"

The blonde picked up Max's phone and looked at the name on the screen. "Dude, it's Charlie."

"Oh, Charlie. Charlie? Wait… how can that be?" The confused girl stopped what she was doing, took a moment before responding. "Uhm.. ask her what she wants. Be nice."

The taller girl made a mocking expression in reply. "I'm always nice. Hang on." She tapped the button to allow the call. "Yo, this is Caulfield's personal assistant." She looked back across the countertop to where her partner was still prepping. Slowly a smirk crept up her face and her eyes sparkled, brimming over with mischief.

The younger girl realized what was possibly coming and shook her head. "Don't… Chlo…" was the only words she could utter, just a little too late to do any good.

"Sup', bitches?"

The shorter girl dropped the knife she'd been using, spreading mustard could wait, and dashed around the corner. "Chloe! You can't say that!" She collided with an outstretched arm that held her back from reaching her phone. Try as she might, she could not get close enough. The taller girl's grin grew as she listened to the caller. She covered the microphone momentarily and lowered her voice. "Dude, she sounds totally hot!"

"No, no, no, no, come on! Give it here!" More struggling ensued but every time she got near the blonde would dodge just in time.

With a mocking wave of a hand and a quickly mouthed, "Shush Maxi, I'm on the phone." The playful girl dismissed her partner all the while keeping just out of reach. Max, on the other hand, couldn't hear the other half of the conversation, kept at it; trying to retrieve her phone while starting to panic at what might come next.

"Oh really? Sure, I'll give her the message, but it may be a bit before she gets back to you because," She paused momentarily, looked her struggling companion up and down before winking, "… well, you know… I don't like sharing. Yup. Probably all week, maybe more. See ya." She disconnected the call, flipped the phone to her girlfriend and launched into laughter so hard she ended up falling on her back.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

"Oh my Dog! What have you done!?" The young woman's jaw was hanging to the ground.

"HA! HA! HA! The look on your face! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

"I… you… but…" No other words came out, the confusion was complete.

"She … HA! HA! HA! She said you were the boss, so it's your schedule. HA! HA! A… and I thought, Oh! I like the sound of that! HA! HA! Can you schedule me into your calendar… boss? HA! HA! HA! Bossy Max! Hella sexy! My oh my!"

Completely embarrassed, the stunned girl sulked back to the kitchen to finish lunch, all the while shaking her head and mumbling words under her breath that the hysterical woman couldn't hear. Eventually the laughter died down and the apartment became quiet, with only the sounds of the refrigerator opening and shutting as condiments and foodstuffs were put away. A plate slid to the open side of the counter.

"Here's your lunch."

"Aw, come on cutie. It was a joke. She and I have known each other for a few years now."

"What? How the hell do you know Charlie?"

"It's not too long a story, but it can wait. You upset? Did I go too far?"

"Chlo, I'm not mad. Not really. It's just that so much has happened so quickly. And you are merciless sometimes."

"I get it. I was all in fun, I'd never hurt you. You know that, right? Why don't you grab your plate and come sit? I still gotta finish the story."

The brunette grabbed her lunch and returned to the couch. They had traded positions yet again, so she scooched closer to her blonde partner who then gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head.

"Where did I leave off?"

"Rachel, and it was surreal…"

"Gotcha."

* * *

**Risky Business: You've Been Warned**   
**October 4 th, 2013 **   
**(Z + 5)**   
**Evening**   
_**Arcadia Bay**  
_

I was stopped at the last light before it was a straight shot to school, when the passenger side door opened, and she got in; sliding the pizza box over to make room. She got my full attention, then again, her blonde hair, flannel shirt, ripped jeans, signature earring, and her smile that could make anyone stop and listen. She looked exactly like the last time I'd seen her. At the time, I didn't know what to make of the fact that my missing friend simply reappeared and got into my truck as if nothing had happened in the intervening half-year.

"You're in a hurry tonight." Rachel gazed at me with her beautiful hazel eyes. The eyes that could see into the deepest parts of your soul and know every truth or dare or lie you'd ever told. My mind decided to put itself on hold as I just stared at her blankly. I couldn't form a coherent sentence at that moment and the light seemed stuck on red, its cycle seemed broken. I don't know how long I looked at her, dumbfounded. It felt like a lifetime.

"But look at you, all cleaned up, and ohhh! Pizza! Do you mind?" Rachel opened the box that was between us, selected a piece and started eating. All I could do was watch as she quickly, almost professionally, consumed the slice and then grabbed a napkin to blot her mouth. My thoughts finally coalesced into a semblance of rationality but the words that came out were a broken mess.

"W… what… how," I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and then let some of it out slowly, "what the actual fuck Rach? Where have you been?" The light at the intersection turned red again.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? What does that mean?" I didn't understand.

She picked up the pizza box and swapped positions with it so she could sit next to me. She leaned in and set her head on my shoulder. I almost couldn't remember how nice that felt, and her hair smelled like jasmine. It was nice, until she replied. "Chloe, sweetie. I'm not really here."

"How can you say that?" I still didn't get it; my mind still wasn't working right. The light at the intersection remained red.

"How can I make you understand?"

"Just tell me what's going on, and how after six months you just happen to be at this corner at this time of night. What happened to you?"

Her beautiful face showed concern. "I honestly can't tell you that because…"

"Because why?"

"How do I explain? I don't know because you don't know. You fell asleep at the intersection."

"This is all a dream?" I won't lie, it was a real drag. I still missed Rachel so much, and I guess my expression showed it.

She looked at me with a cheerful, soothing smile. "Don't feel bad Chloe, this conversation may all be in your head, just like the ones you had with your Dad years ago, but that doesn't mean it's not meaningful. It’s one of the ways your brain tries to sort things," she paused and gave me a little peck on the cheek, "and by the looks of it, that brain has gotten a workout in a college punk-like manner. Though to be honest you're more of a geek now. It's kinda hot you being as smart as me."

"Hey! I was always smart. I just… didn't show it, didn't seem worth it at the time."

"But now it does?" She wasn't being mean, just honestly asking.

"Of course it does! This is Max we're talking about!" Was I starting to get defensive of my own thoughts?

"Honestly, I'm not trying to pick a fight. It just seems like you're committed to The Plan™ without knowing much about it."

"Why are you asking me this now, Rach? I mean… shit! You're not really Rachel, but why now?"

"Look, it's pretty simple. You convinced yourself that what you learned back in April was real and it not only changed your entire direction, but how you think. So, consider this conversation one with your earlier self. Kinda to make sure this is still what you want."

"My earlier self? Are you kidding? If that's true, why show up as Rachel?"

She laughed exactly like she would have in real life. "Would you rather talk to yourself? That, my beautiful geek, would be really weird, and also," she paused and a ray of light from the streetlamp across the way took that moment to reflect off her eyes, "who would you rather talk with? I mean, you can be a real bitch sometimes; imagine talking with her."

"What? I'm not… well ok, you're right. I probably would listen to you more than my earlier self, but what's the real reason you're here at this moment, when I have this bad feeling about Max?"

"I wanted to let you know I think you're right, something is going on. Look, I know you Chloe, I mean really, even if I were Rachel, I know how your mind works. Max is in trouble and I don't want you to hesitate. I want you to believe in yourself and what you're doing now and what you'll be doing in the future. The situation you could find yourself in might test your resolve and I wanted you to know that I've got your back."

"So, a pep-talk?"

"Yep. And now that you've thought it through, I think you need to get on with it. The light is green."

With that, I glanced back at the intersection just as the light turned green and stepped on the gas. As I made my way the last mile I grabbed for another slice of pizza and was surprised to see a piece missing. Did I really eat one without realizing it? I pondered the implications of what Rachel, I mean my mind, had told me. Something bad was coming. I could see the glow of lights ahead, and with hardly any traffic on the road except a large red pickup heading quickly in the opposite direction, I had a straight shot to my destination; I gave my beast of a truck a little more gas. I had been to Blackwell's campus only intermittently to check on you, Max; Kate handled the day to day overwatch and kept me up to date. As I turned the final corner, there it was. Blackwell. The campus was partially bathed in the pale yellow of the lamps positioned along the paths leading to all the different buildings and facilities and backed by the shadows of the surrounding forest. On this moonless night the main building towered ominously over its territory and it sent a chill down my spine.

Oh yes, _Bad Fucking Things_ were afoot.

I parked the truck across two handicapped spots, got out and walked quickly down the dim path towards the party, which would be in the building that housed the pool if my memory was correct. I could hear EDM and thumping bass get louder the closer I got, and I noticed a shorter person heading quickly in my direction. It was Kate. As we approached, she suddenly sprinted the remaining distance, we collided, and she wrapped her arms around me. She was shaking like a leaf.

"I'm so glad you're here! I've looked everywhere. I can't find her. What are we going to do? I was supposed to keep her safe. Honestly I…" She was stressed out and her hair, normally in a bun, was messy as if she'd been fretting what to do. When she looked up at me, it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Whoa! Slow down, Katie. It's alright, take a deep breath and tell me what happened. Start at the beginning."

The shorter blonde gave out a heavy sigh and wiped her eyes. I was right, there had been unshed tears. "Max was invited to the party tonight, like out of the blue and completely unexpected. She was conflicted about whether she wanted to go because, like me, neither of us are very social. But Max said she wanted to try because it would help her break out of her shell, no matter how uncomfortable it would be. She said she had her reasons, something about building courage to see ' _an old friend_ ' soon."

"Me."

"Probably, yeah. Anyway, everything was fine at the start. We mingled with some of the nicer people like, Dana, Juliet, and Warren… though Warren couldn't seem to keep his distance. I think there's something going on, at least he seems to think so."

"What? Max and Warren?"

"Uh huh. He almost followed us around like a puppy. I think Max was a bit uncomfortable about it too."

"That sounds like Max. She never was very social. But we're getting sidetracked. Where is Max?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. She started acting weird."

"In what way?"

"She started dancing and hanging on to anyone she could. It was all quite sudden. And some of the guys started taking advantage of her. You know… grabbing her butt, dancing really, really close…"

"Why didn't you grab her?"

"When she started dancing with Nathan, I decided to do just that, but then I noticed Victoria started recording the whole thing on her phone. It made me so mad! I don't know what came over me, but I think I busted her phone."

"Oh, holy shit Katie," like a reflex her expression automatically turned grumpy, but her eyes told me she didn't fucking care if I swore right then, "you got into Icky Vicky's face?"

"Yeah, like I said it made me angry that she was taking advantage of Max. I had to put a stop to it. I only intended to grab her phone out of her hands, but I apparently don't know my own strength; next thing I knew the phone was flying through the air and ended up in the pool."

"Badass Katie Kat!"

"I guess, I may have also broken her hand in the process too because Victoria grabbed it and ran screaming from the building. I don’t think I've ever heard someone swear like that before either. Everyone stopped, took notice for like five seconds, and then at the same time shrugged and went back to partying. When I turned back around to get Max, she was gone. I thought maybe she went to the bathroom. That's when I texted you. "

"And she wasn't there?"

"No, and while I waited for you, I searched the rest of the building. She's not here."

"Ok, gotcha. Maybe she went back to her room. We should check there first."

We headed quickly along the dim pathway that lead to the dorms. No one else was around, and besides the noise of the party, which was fading into the background, the campus was eerily quiet; so quiet in fact not even the insects were making a sound. That was weird and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up like a scared porcupine. Almost to the student housing an idea popped into my mind. I stopped walking abruptly, got my phone out, and started typing a message. Katie kept walking a few more steps and then noticed I was no longer with her. She turned and noticed my phone.

"What are you doing?"

"I got an idea. My stepdad should be around somewhere. He needs to know what's going on."

"Mr. Madsen? Oh, I don't know why I didn't think of that before!"

"No worries, we'll find her. If there's someone that knows the campus, it's David."

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Yo! You there? Need some help.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Chloe? Help? Are you okay?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Yeah, sure we're fine. Look dude, we kinda got a situation here. Max is missing.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Max? You mean Caulfield? The one you told me about?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** The same. She and Kate went to the party tonight on campus. She's missing.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Shit! I was told, no ordered, not to show my face there.  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Figures. We looked for her, she isn't there anymore. Can't find her anywhere.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Ok, I'll get the rest of the crew to keep an eye out. Where are you now?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** We're just about to the dorms to check to see if she went back.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Good idea. Let me know if she's there or not. Either way. There are a couple teachers still on campus too. I'll let them know.  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Awesome, thanks. I owe you.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Stay safe, I don't want you to take any risks. Text me if you find her.  
  


I put my phone back in my pocket, first making sure it would buzz if I got a new message. I didn't want to miss an important text. I looked up and Kate was waiting anxiously for me to move on. "Let's go. Stepdad and his other security dudes are looking as well."

Reaching the dorms, Kate opened the door and led us to Max's room. We didn't meet anyone in the hallway, and all the doors were closed; it looked like everyone on this floor was either out, or at the party. She stopped us in front of number 219. "This is her room."

I looked to the small whiteboard next to her door and I saw words written with a permanent marker similar to how I used to tag the shit outta things.

"Fuck that!" I grabbed the board off its pin as Kate looked at me with a startled but slightly annoyed expression.

"Chloe, do you always have to swear like a trucker?"

"In this case, yeah I do." I looked across the hallway and pointed a finger, "Victoria's room?" Kate's annoyance disappeared the moment she figured out what I was going to do.

"Yup," she nodded and then quickly moved to her own room, unlocked the door and looked back over her shoulder. "Hang on, I have an idea. How are you with markers?"

I laughed hard as an evil grin covered my face. "Dude, you are looking at the bitch queen of tagging. You may have seen some of my earlier works in the main hall's bathroom."

"Oh! That was you?" She went into her room and quickly returned with a black marker and a couple of other items. Why Kate had a hammer and nails I didn't know, maybe it was to hang pictures. Handing me the writing instrument, I couldn't help but grin like a maniac. _Oh hell yeah…_ _Sharpie, wide-tip, black. There is no substitute._

"Yeah. Looking back, I guess I wasn't in the best frame of mind when I did that. But it was quality shit."

Kate nodded in agreement and took down Victoria's board. "Can you do something… creative here?" She pointed to the blank wall where the slate had been.

"Oh yeah, I think I can." I figured what she wanted to do and started doodling on the empty space.

Just for good measure I surrounded the words with, and I don't mind bragging, a very detailed version of a specially selected part the male anatomy. Kate's eyes went wide; maybe she hadn't expected something that extreme, but she couldn't stop a smile from forming as she handed me Max's vandalized board. "Hang it up, and then nail it down."

"Gotcha!" And I did just that, making sure to attach the board with an absurd number of nails placed in random positions. If the bitch removed the board it would destroy it and reveal the surprise behind. We both busted up laughing as we moved back across the hall to Max's room and put the replacement board in its spot. We got serious again as Kate knocked on the door.

"Max? Are you in there?" She knocked again, waited for a moment and then jiggled the doorknob, which turned freely. Surprised to find it unlocked she poked her head into the room. "She's not in here."

"Well, where else would she go?"

"I don't know. I hate to think she's just wandering around outside in the state she was in. Let's check the showers and bathroom, though I don't think we'll find her in either place."

After quietly latching the door, we left Max's room, checked both the showers and the bathroom on our way out. She wasn't there either. Once outside, we sat down on the steps to figure out our next move.

"I really don't know where she would be." Kate shrugged, "I guess we could check the main building. Max sometimes works in the photography lab at night, it should still be open."

"That's a good idea. Lemme update David first."

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Max isn't in her room. Unless she's in the boys' dorms she's not here.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Thanks, I'll have someone check that out.  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** We're gonna check the photo lab. I'll let you know.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Copy that.

The moonless night seemed to get darker, pressing in on us as we made our way between yellow islands of light created by the walkway's lamps. In the distance, I heard thunder… a storm was coming. The inside of the main building was the same as it had always been, exactly how it was the last time I was there. Most of the lights were switched off to conserve power, but the exit signs and intermittent ones that were on illuminated the familiar, beat up, and abused lockers that lined the walls. Down at the end of the hallway a classroom door was open and a light was on.

"That's Mr. Jefferson's room, the photo lab." Kate's quiet voice sounded optimistic. Maybe Max was in there just like she supposed.

While we had implied permission to be in the building, courtesy of David who would back us up, we didn't have time to answer questions, should they arise; to answer would delay us from finding Max, so we crept quietly down the hallway. As we approached, we could hear a conversation and a raised voice, it was one sided like you'd hear when someone was talking on the phone.

"…fuck are you doing there at this time of night!?" The voice, an unfamiliar male, was agitated.

"That's Mr. Jefferson." Kate whispered. We continued to listen in.

"No. Stop! Shut your God damned hole you worthless shit and listen to me!"

We were only getting half of the conversation. He was really upset.

"You are going to ruin everything. Can't you do the simplest things?"

I strained to hear the voice on the other end.

"Caulfield? You fucking moron! I wasn't ready… no, I don't care if it was an opportunity."

Our mouths dropped to the ground and we both looked at each other, shocked at hearing Max's name mentioned. It couldn't be coincidence.

"Nathan shut up! I mean it. Look, stay there. Don't fucking do anything! We have to fix this, and you obviously aren't capable of doing so. I'll be right over. Just make sure she doesn't wake up."

There was a moment of silence and then the same voice yelled. "God damn fucking asshole!"

Something whizzed out the door and smashed into the wall across the way. The cell phone shattered, and its bits flew in all directions. We both winced and then we heard what sounded like a desk drawer open and slam shut with amazing force.

"We gotta get out of here," I pointed a thumb over my shoulder, "but we need to know where he's going."

Kate didn't say a word but nodded. The situation was getting out of hand, but we didn't have time to update David. We quietly crept down the hallway, back from where we came, and rounded the corner just as the light switched off in the lab. Making it outside, we hid behind the hedges that lined the main path just as Jefferson exited the building. We both watched as he made his way towards the parking lot. We needed to follow but not be seen so we stayed well behind. A bright flash in the distance briefly lit the sky, followed by more thunder. It was louder this time. The storm was almost here.

From a safe distance we entered the parking lot and watched as the asshole passed my truck, walked down to the end of the row and got into a dark, very expensive vehicle. _Shit, the prick had a Rolls? How the fuck does a photography teacher afford that?_ We stopped at my own vehicle and quietly got in. I waited until I saw the luxury vehicle's lights turn on, back out, and head towards the road. I hit the ignition and my truck rumbled to life, and I was lucky that its headlights didn't turn on automatically. After making sure the coast was clear, I backed out just as the Rolls Royce merged onto the quiet, empty street. I did likewise and tailed the car.

"Kate, I need to concentrate on not losing him. "I handed her my phone." Update David for me, would you? He needs to know. Just tell me what he says."

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Hello? Mr. Madsen?  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Who is this? Chloe? Where's Chloe?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** She's fine, busy driving. It's Kate. Kate Marsh  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Marsh? Ok, you're with Chloe? Wait. Driving? What's going on?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** We're following Mr. Jefferson; we think he knows something about Max.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Mark Jefferson? The photography teacher? What does he have to do with this?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** We heard him talking on the phone with Nathan. He said Max's name and was really upset.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Prescott? Oh shit! That kid is this close to heading to the psych-ward.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Where are you?  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** We're on the highway out of town, heading… hang on…

Kate looked at me because she hadn't been paying attention to my driving. "He wants to know where we are."

"Tell him we're heading north on 101 about a mile out of town… Hang on, he's turning ahead," I paused for a moment and looked to the right. A marker with the number 52 passed us by, "tell him we're turning just after mile 52." I decelerated and coasted to the intersection as she focused back on my phone and started typing.

 **Text Messages (Chloe's phone)**  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Hello? It's me again, Kate. We're just passing mile post 52  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Turning onto a gravel road on the right-hand side.  
  
 ** _Cap'n Chloe:_** Still following.  
  
 ** _Davey Jones:_** Got it. 52. I'm on my way with support.

Finished texting, Kate returned my phone. "Mr. Madsen says he's on his way."

"Good, because I have no idea what's out here. As far as I know this is nothing but a forest service road."

"Why would Mr. Jefferson come all the way out here? And what does it have to do with Nathan and Max?"

"Those are questions we need to get answers for." Once I rounded the corner, I pulled the truck over to the side of the gravel road and left it idling. "We need to know what's ahead before we go any further." I opened the map app on my phone and then leaned over so Kate could see the screen as well. The simplified road map snapped to our current location.

"We're here," I pointed to the blue dot that indicated our position, "and this road goes nowhere. See? It just stops about a mile further. Nothing." Then I got an idea and switched to satellite view and the map redrew with all the details. "Look, there's a house and… is that a barn?"

Kate nodded, "It looks like one. What are we going to do?"

"A little recon for David. But carefully." Lightning flashed again and was almost immediately answered with a rumble. A couple of heavy slats hit the windshield, and I could see the dark shadowed trees start swaying together as if they were all connected. The storm was here.

"A… alright. I'm not gonna lie Chloe, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this."

"I know. Right there with you. Let's do this." I pulled back into the center of the narrow track and slowly headed towards the farmhouse I knew to be at the end. I was only driving by my marker lights so as to not give away our presence too much. The wind picked up significantly and I could feel gusts rock my heavy truck. More raindrops slammed into the glass as the storm picked up strength. A couple of small ball bearings of hail bounced off the hood. Kate sat beside me; her hand tightly gripped on the armrest as she focused forward along the road.

Eventually, I saw a brighter glow of white ahead. It was a clearing and obviously there was power and some sort of light illuminating the area. I switched off my running lights and coasted the rest of the way as the road headed down a mild incline. The rain really started to pick up and, mixed with hail, started an eerie and unpleasant drumming on the roof of the truck, like the beating of an overworked heart that was ready to give out. _Wow, Chloe… where did that come from? Symbolism much?_ Finally, we passed by an open gate and a small, rundown barn slid into view from behind the swaying trees. In the distance a lone two-story farmhouse stood against a backdrop of shadowed forest. Both buildings were illuminated by a single, intensely white sodium vapor lamp that created cones of light surrounding the fronts of each building. I coasted to the side and parked in the shadows across from the barn as the storm continued to dump enormous amounts of water on the area.

"We're here," I looked over to my passenger who was peering out the rain slicked side window at the barn across the way, "wherever _here_ is." I looked over her shoulder through the glass and downpouring rain and saw a rundown, ordinary barn. It was a building like any other you'd expect to see on a farm. Its wooden walls were scuffed, and the paint was faded and peeling in places. "Ready?"

"As ready as I can be, I guess. But look," she pointed to the front sliding door of the building, "the door isn't closed all the way." She was right. The barn door was partially separated from its other half, and through the pouring rain I could see an unlocked padlock hanging from the adjoining hasp.

"It must be Jefferson. I don't know where else he would have gone." I gestured to the area between the barn and the house. "This is the end of the road and I don't see his car anywhere. We need to find out."

"What's the plan?"

"Simple. We go over there," I pointed again to the barn through the downpour, "and we find Max, or find out where she is. Either she's in there, or they know where she it. You said Nathan was the last person you saw with her?"

"Yeah, it was Nathan, I'm sure of it. And I only looked away enough to deal with Victoria. It couldn't have been more than a minute. The song everyone was dancing to hadn't even finished."

"Ok, so at least Jefferson is here, but I figure Nathan is too. That barn looks just about the right size for two vehicles. What does Nathan drive?"

"I think it's some sort of big pickup. I don't know the model. But it's big… and red."

My memory flashed back to when I was just arriving at Blackwell. A red Durango had been going the other way. My face scrunched in concentration, but I couldn't remember seeing much about the driver or passenger. I focused my thoughts a bit more and let the scene play back in slow motion. There was the truck approaching; its driver's window was rolled down. Our two vehicles aligned and like a movie being paused, the replay froze. Across the gap, sat a dude with slicked back hair, a scowl on his face, and a sneer on his lips. Nathan! In the darkened cab I could see someone curled up against the passenger door, but they were in shadows so I couldn't make out any features.

"Shit! He passed me by when I was driving up to Blackwell. It was definitely Nathan, about an hour ago." I reached for my door handle and popped the lock. "Let's go, we need to do this now!" Rain sluiced in from the open driver's door and I stepped out and became immediately soaked. Kate did likewise and we quickly crossed the gravel driveway. Ending up under the single light, I peaked between the gap and could make out Jefferson's car parked beside a large pickup truck with the word DODGE emblazoned on its tailgate. Red, just like Nathan's. I slid the unlocked entrance open enough to pass through and my companion followed suite.

The interior was what you might expect from a small barn. The floor was a cracked concrete slab, strewn with dirt, grime, and bits of hay. It smelled musty but also had slight scent of old motor oil; probably from the broken-down tractor beside, which sat an engine block. In the shadowy space I could see farm tools, blades, ropes, and other random implements hanging from the walls or upon a small workbench. As my eyes adjusted to the lighting, I detected a faint glow from around the far side of the Rolls. I grabbed Kate's hand and lead her around the parked vehicles. There was a heavy hatch leaning open against the back wall and the light showed concrete stairs heading downward.

Looking over to Kate and employing the universal _Be Quiet As Fuck_ signal, I placed my finger on my lips then pointed at the stairs. She nodded silently and we slowly crept closer to the hole. That's when we heard voices from below.

"What were you thinking? You idiot!" It was a male voice that sounded like Jefferson.

"I only did what I thought you'd do!"

"You are a fucking moron, Nathan! You can't just grab someone in plain view and bring them here! And goddam it! She wasn't properly prepared; it isn't the right time for her. It takes weeks of grooming the subject, and planning everything out. I would have expected you to have figured that out after our little project with Rachel. But wait, you fucked that one up to!"

I stood at the top of the stairwell with my mouth hanging open. _What. Did. He. Just. Say???_ I looked at the descending steps and then back to Kate. Her eyes were wide with shock as well, and we both simultaneously mouthed " _Rachel?_ " She nodded once and my heart dropped like an anchor released into the cold black sea, a shiver went through my entire body as it hit the seabed and scraped along the bottom. _Rock Bottom._ We stepped back from the edge and knelt beside the parked car.

I couldn't believe what I just heard, those words, that name. "Did he say Rachel?" I whispered; it was all I could force out.

"Yeah. What do we do?"

My brain got in gear quickly, like it was already convinced and ready to act. "Here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna stay up here and…"

"No," she quietly protested, "I'm coming with you, we stick together!"

"Look, this isn't the time for arguments. We need to have someone up here to wait for David to arrive and call the police in case something happens. Cell won't work down there I bet."

"I know, but what if something happens to you?"

"Then it won't happen to you as well. Give me five minutes, just so I can go down there, take a peek, and get back up here. After that, we'll wait until David arrives."

"I can do…" She let out a small squeak and a gasp as her eyes became as big as saucers as she looked over my shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" A dude's voice hissed. Shit! I hadn't even heard him come up the stairs. I could see Kate staring like a deer in headlights but then she glanced back towards me and I got her attention. I silently mimed his name. " _Nathan?_ " I got an almost imperceptible nod in return. _Damn it!_

"Get the fuck up. Now! Slowly!" He placed a hand on my left shoulder and grabbed my shirt.

I slowly started to rise from the kneeling position I'd been in. I put my hands halfway up to show that I wasn't a threat; it was something David had taught me about confrontations.

"The first rule is to put the person at ease and let them think they have control." He had told me.

All the while I kept eye contact with Kate, whom I was shielding with my own body. As I rose partially into a standing position, I jerked my head slightly back towards our aggressor. She looked at me and her forehead scrunched. She shook her head ever so slightly. My eyes widened and pleaded with her to act. Come on Kate, you can do this! I made an obvious effort to close my eyes to show my frustration and need, then rolled my eyes to the side, jerked my head again and focused on her to make the point. She got it and consented with a subtle nod and her eyes narrowed with concentration. While still facing away from Nathan I mouthed the countdown.

1…

2…

3…

Without warning I abruptly stood straight up and spun around. My partially raised arms made a perfect fulcrum and collided with Nathan's outstretched arm exactly like Stepdad had shown me. My forearm met the socket behind the elbow, and I heard--no really I more felt, bone leaving its normal seating. The boy let out a startled yelp of pain, but it was silenced almost immediately because a wrecking ball of a fist collided with the soft spot under his chin. Kate had taken the hint with a vengeance and had perfect timing to land the best upper cut I'd ever seen, even MMA on TV could not have done better. She had gone completely unnoticed from a kneeling position to an upright one in a split second and her arm swung upward on a direct course with her target. Nathan was simultaneously turned to the side by my own motion and bodily launched upward by the impact of Kate's fist. Before he even hit the ground, he was out cold and ended up landing with a thud, unconscious in the pile of hay next to the hatch. I did a quick calculation, that was 6 feet of airtime. Hella good hit that was! Kate stood there with her hand covering her mouth, like she was in shock, except she was also bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Oh my! Did I do that?"

"You sure fucking did! You are a badass with a capital B, Katie!"

"Is… is he okay?"

I went over and checked out the sack of shit that was Nathan. He was still breathing so that was a good sign. "Yeah, it's more than he deserves but he's only knocked silly."

"I don't know what got into me. I was scared at first, but he made me so angry!" It looked like she was starting to get nervous and sweat showed up on her brow. "Don't tell anyone, ok?"

"Dude! That was the best hit I've seen in… shit, I don't know. I can't wait to start the rumor that pretty-boy Nathan Prescott got totally destroyed by cute Katie Marsh."

"No, please don't Chloe."

"Awww, pleeeeasseee Katie. Come on, you deserve this too. He treats you like shit all of the time!"

"Well… it did feel pretty good to finally make him see the err of his ways."

"I'm impressed Katie. The wrath of Kate shall be upon him?"

As she made light of the situation she giggled quietly, and I could see a sparkle in her eyes. "Oh! I like that." She briefly toyed with the cross that dangled from her neck.

"Sweet! Just gotta make it official." I grabbed the sharpie that was still in my pocket and scribbled a couple of choice words on the snoring boy's forehead.

"Will that work?" I asked my MMA champion.

"Yeah, that's… what do you say? Awesomesauce."

I let out a small laugh of my own. Teamwork has its benefits and we were definitely part of a team now. The Save Max Team.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road. You stay here and keep _our friend_ company." I handed her my phone in case David called. "Just take this and wait five minutes." She nodded and I turned back to the stairwell. _Here we go._

Quietly I started descending, one step at a time and very slowly so my footsteps wouldn't give me away. Once I reached the bottom, I found myself in a short hallway with a heavy door at its end. My luck had held, Nathan seems to have unintentionally left the vault-like entrance cracked open, or maybe he'd been too lazy to lock it when he exited. Light from the other side spilled through the now visible gap between the door and its frame. I gently pushed the door open using only the tips of my fingers. Jefferson was talking, maybe he was so occupied that he hadn't realized Nathan had gone outside, or more likely the dude just couldn't get enough of his own voice. I could hear a camera click intermittently as he spoke.

"You really ought to be a model, Max…"

_ >click< _

"Let's see, move your head to the side…"

_ >click< _

"It is a shame Nathan grabbed you so soon, you have so much potential…"

_ >click< _

_ >click< _

"That's it. Your innocence is so beautiful. Such a pity this will be our only session."

_ >click< _

I moved into what I now could see was a fallout shelter. Next to the door stood shelves of supplies, canned foods, bottled water, enough to feed maybe half a dozen people for weeks. The room had windowless concrete walls painted in a muted white. Beside the shelves an open doorway lead to a darkened room which upon inspection was a fully serviceable bathroom complete with shower; this place had running water too it seemed. Across the way was a much larger room that opened directly from the entryway. It had the same basic décor as my current room but much more furnishings. A desk with monitor was next to wooden shelving neatly lined with notebooks. I couldn't make out the bindings' labels from this distance but each one seemed to be marked with a single word. I moved closer to the corner and saw a person's shadow moving about. Jefferson? I took a peek.

The main room was larger than the entry and stretched well back. In the middle of the room was a couch fronted by a glass coffee table upon which was a large handgun. Enlarged photographs of scantily clad women adorned the walls; they were eerie and dark as if the subjects had been forced physically into the pictures. The far end, where Jefferson stood, his back to me, was laid out like a professional photography studio. Movable lights were to each side, and a plain off-white background covered the back wall. A chair sat right in the middle of the space and was clearly Jefferson's focus. His body blocked my view of his subject, but based upon the lack of other rooms leading further into the shelter, I could only deduce whom it had to be.

_ >click< _

_ >click< _

Jefferson adjusted his angle and for the first time in so many years I saw you up close. Your freckles were clearly visible but the angle that dude put your head in kept me from seeing your eyes. It was totally you, dressed in a classy knee length dress, simple black flats, and with your hair pulled up. It looked like you were set to party but in a nice, understated way. I stood there leaning on the corner as Jefferson repositioned you once again. That's when I saw your eyes and, even today, it still bugs me. You've always had fantastic, mesmerizing blue eyes but that night it was like the color had been stripped from you. Your pupils were so dilated that from the distance there was no hint of blue to be seen. It felt like I was looking directly into your soul yet finding nothing but an empty container. You were a zombie in a manner that I had never experienced before. Not even the stoners I used to hang out with ever lost their person, that spark that makes them a real, living human being. From my perspective you simply weren't there. And it’s a good thing too. What I heard next almost broke me.

"Yes, that's it, Max. Good…"

_ >click< _

"It’s a pity your session was moved up so inconveniently…"

_ >click< _

_ >click< _

"I'd really enjoy more time with you, but we can't just have you hang around…"

_ >click< _

"Nice."

_ >click< _

"You see, I'm a professional and my particular clientele are very risk adverse…"

_ >click< _

"Beautiful… we're almost done… and that means you are too…"

_ >click< _

"But don't worry, you won't feel a thing…" He laughed quietly as he adjusted his camera and moved in to get extremely close ups of your face.

_ >click< _

"Fantastic…"

_ >click< _

_ >click< _

_ >click< _

"In fact, we'll just put you next to Rachel, so you have some company." He laughed again, a much deeper, sinister sounding laugh. He continued to take pictures as I stood there frozen with my mouth half open. _I couldn't have heard that right, could I have_? _Rachel_?

_ >click< _

"Though she'll probably not be the best of companions anymore given her rather… unfortunate condition." _Rachel??!_ My breath was caught in my chest. _Not Rachel!_

_ >click< _

"And that's a wrap Max… thank you for being such a lovely… oh so perfect subject… it's time we part." He placed his camera on a rolling table opposite the chair and reached for a syringe, poked it into the top of a small bottle and slowly began to pull the plunger back. "Let's just give you twice the dose... I'll only be a second, then you can join Rachel with the rest of the trash." He shook his head. "What a pity."

In the back of my mind a voice made its presence known. Whether it was my own memories making it easier to accept, or whether it really was her I didn't know; I never would. But the voice sounded for all intents exactly like I remember Rachel's to be, just like I daydreamed in the truck. It welled up from the depths of my person, a voice that made a simple clear demand. It urged me to action.

_**Save her!  
Save Max! ** _

My focus fell upon the photographer, his back still towards me. Color and light in the studio became a gradient of grey as the room flattened, then twisted into a tunnel with Jefferson directly in the middle. I took some deep breaths while the insistent words got louder and commanded me to move. He pulled the syringe out of the bottle and flicked it gently with his index finger. "That should do it. Nighty night, Max."

_**Don't think!** _

I grabbed the wall's corner with both hands, gripping the cold painted concrete tightly and pulled myself back, readying to launch myself bodily at what I now knew was a lethal threat; one I needed to eliminate before he went too far. The voice thundered and pounded on my skull like the worst storm ever recorded. It was deafening.

_**DO IT NOW!  
MOVE! ** _

Adrenaline rushed through my body as I physically threw myself towards the back of the tall, unaware man that was turning your head to a position that exposed your neck. My steps made no sound, I was like a vengeful wraith floating just above the floor. I accelerated as fast as I could; I have never moved so quickly, and I didn't even bother to slow down as I lowered my shoulder and slammed into his left side while my outstretched arms wrapped around his midsection. There was no way I was going to let him get away from me. The impact lifted his entire body off the ground while I used my momentum to direct us towards the far wall. The syringe flew out of his hands, the table and its contents a mere bump in the road. Seconds stretched into minutes as the flat concrete wall loomed in slow motion before us. I pushed harder, never once thinking about my own safety as we slammed full force into the unyielding wall; force strong enough to shake solid stone reverberated through the structure and hanging pictures fell from their hooks and shattered on the hard floor.

Jefferson became a crash test dummy in everything but name as the airbag that he became collapsed inward cushioning me from the most severe of the damage. Even though I could feel my arms hit the wall it was mostly Asshat's body that took the brunt of the impact. Scrapes and bruises were all I got. On the other hand, the wall literally exploded in blood as cartilage smashed and bone splintered. _Hey, Face meet Wall! Seriously you two are cute together, you should be a couple and I want you both to get real fucking close._ I wanted to laugh at my own cleverness, but I wasn't done. Nowhere near goddamned done.

The dummy had squished enough that I rebounded quickly which gave me the opportunity to do something David had shown me a couple of months ago in case I ever needed to defend myself. Without thinking I reached up from behind and grabbed the bloody wreck of Jefferson's chin, turned to face away, knelt down, and pulled over my shoulder just as his own momentum reversed course. Where the head goes the body must follow, that's what David had said and, sure as shit, he was right. The pivot flipped Jeffershit across my shoulder and he sailed through the air like a red-streaked missile leaving a trail on the floor to mark his trajectory. The sack-of-dicks landed squarely on the metal and glass coffee table which collapsed from the abuse it was never designed to take. _Shit! Safety glass. Figures. A couple of nice cuts with glass spears the size of Mt Everest would have been appropriate about now._ I followed closely behind and focused my entire mass into a horizontal slide that crashed my knee directly into the center of his splayed-out legs. I think I launched his nuts into orbit because from his destroyed face came gurgling scream louder than a rocket launch. Well, it was a scream until a pointed elbow pile-drove directly into the fucker's sternum.

"NO ONE MESSES WITH MY MAX! NOT YOU! NOT ANYONE!" My voice was hoarse from the effort and my own need for air. I grabbed the cocksucker's hair on both sides of his head, lifted it from the ground and…

"CHLOE!!!!" I hadn't heard that specific tone of voice used for months, but it had the intended effect. Like responding to a military command, I froze and looked up, gasping deeply to catch my breath. At the entrance to the room David stood there, still dressed in his security gear from Blackwell. Kate hovered behind his outstretched arm which kept her from moving closer into the room. From behind him I could just make out footsteps and radio calls. The cavalry had arrived. I let the fucker's head drop limply to the ground. It hit with a satisfying thud and I rolled off the nearly unconscious body. My thoughts and vision cleared, and I darted over to where you were trapped. You were completely out of it, and I struggled with the duct tape that held you in place. Your head kept lolling from one side to the other, you didn't even blink; you didn't even know I was there.

"Help me get her out of here!" I called back to David. "She can't find out what's going on. It's important!" I kept pulling at the tape until I heard a distinctive _snick_ of a blade opening and David carefully slit the bindings. You were finally free and flopped forward into my waiting arms. As I struggled to pick you up, police piled into the entryway and from behind me I heard a gravelly moan. David turned to the officers while I repositioned you to move; you were limp as a doll, so it took a bit of effort, but I finally got the leverage, lifted, and cradled you in both of my arms. I had just started to turn towards the door when David's voice asserted control again…

"GUN!"

A single cannon like shot rang throughout the enclosed space followed immediately by a sharp ping and then something hard slammed into my back like a locomotive. It burned through me like a piece of the sun, yet suddenly I didn't feel a thing. Behind me I heard sounds of a struggle.

 _So that's what it's like to get shot… weird._ I looked into your wide, unknowing eyes and saw only my reflection. No spark. No Max. Just emptiness.

"David, get her out! She can't know!" I pleaded for your safety; it was the only thing left to do.

My adrenaline crashed, my strength gave out, and I dropped to my knees, having only enough reserve to set you down gently. "See ya' around First Mate." Everything went blurry and my vision failed as I collapsed beside you. Before it all went black, three words I had worried about for months echoed in my ears.

_**Bad Fucking Things** _

_Shit! Maybe I hadn't taken it seriously enough._ The Dark Room claimed me.


	9. Leaving Port, Destination Unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is a special day and thus I added a little something extra, just for fun, above and beyond the confines of the storyline. That said, there's a lot going on in the chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. More chapters are in the works and please feel free to make comments and suggestions.
> 
> Thanks go out to [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx) and [Aspect11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) for their continuing beta, concept support, and friendship throughout the process.
> 
> And finally, a special shout out to the Discord Crew™. You all know I couldn't have continued this story without your encouragement and occasional shoulders to cry upon.
> 
> NOTE: An event in this chapter might be disturbing to some as it implies rape. While I took strides to leave it up to the reader to come to that conclusion, I have learnt that there are those that are sensitive to the topic. Rape is about the worst behavior I can think of this side of murder, which is the main reason it even exists in the story. I use it as a tool to describe the conditions\situation, nothing more. For your convenience I have bracketed the section in question within a pair of tags **[WARNING: Sensitive topic]**

**June 6, 2020 (Z + 12)  
Seattle suburbs  
Early Morning**

The morning was just bright enough to cause tiny beams of light to peak through the window's wooden blinds, which made a slanted zebra pattern across the small room and up the opposite wall. On one side of the office stood a desk with a chair occupied by a middle-aged man busily typing away at an old-fashioned wired keyboard, intent on the monitor before him. Words formed on the screen in neat rows, occasionally being overwritten by better choices as the gentleman in checked flannel pajamas bottoms and a plain grey tee read and reread his work. Occasionally the man would pause, reach for a black and red mug and sip on the steaming coffee within, savoring the aroma while leaning back to review the screen once again.

The phone rang and he carefully set the mug back in its place and moved quickly to grab the cordless handset before the second ring; it wouldn't do to awake the rest of his family right now, that would violate a series of rules that helped maintain harmony in the household.

_I wonder who could be calling so early?_ He glanced at the custom clock built by his now teenaged daughter when she was but seven years old. [6:06 am]

He then looked at the caller ID on the phone. [Unknown Caller]

"Probably another robocall." He sighed, thinking of just cancelling the call, but then remembered he had recruiters across the country gathering leads for job interviews; it could be important. The man pressed the accept button and held the phone to his ear and patiently responded.

"Hello?"

Loud static blared from the speaker followed by a series of loud clicks, then a constant and very annoying combination of tones. He quickly pulled the phone from his ear, looked at it momentarily, turned on the speakerphone. The loud noises were replaced by a scratchy and very faint woman's voice whom, if he were to guess, was talking to a number of different people on the other side of the connection without realizing he could hear the conversation.

_< "You have to turn up the gain, we haven't sync'd correctly. This isn't like calling across town.">_

_< "I'm trying, but [static]… ..signal is all over the place.">_

_< "[static]… lock it down, calibration is almost complete.">_

The man waited patiently. Obviously, someone was having technical difficulties and if they were going through all the trouble of calling him, he'd stay on the line.

_< "I've almost… [static]… the source is strongest on band… [static]…">_

Moments later a mostly clear, female voice could be heard.

_< "Hello? Are you still with us?">_

_< "Uhm… is it working? Anyone? Hello?">_

_< "Anyone?">_

_< "Bueller?">_

The last question made the receiver chuckle a bit. "Yeah, I'm still here."

Apparently the speaker had covered the microphone because the now muffled voice addressed the other end of the conversation.

_< "Yo! Dudes, we got it. Ready? One… Two… Three… Do it!">_

_ <"Happy birthday!!!!"> _Excited voices, a multitude of different people from the sound of it, erupted in cheers and good wishes to the point it became difficult to distinguish any single person. Some sang the silly birthday song; most of them in an exaggeratedly off-key, while others encouraged the vocalists to more and more... discordant stanzas.

"Thank you, that's very kind, but who am I talking with?" He hadn't recognized any of the folks on the other end, though some seemed familiar none connected with a particular name or face; it could just be that he'd not had enough coffee this morning, or the intermittent static of the connection.

In the background, he could hear shushing noises as the caller was apparently trying to get the remote crowd under control and quiet enough to be able to reply. _< "Ok bitches, knock it off! Quiet! I can't hear what he's saying.">_

He chuckled lightly, clearly understanding they, whoever they turned out to be, were having a lot of fun. He patiently repeated himself, a little louder, but not enough to wake the rest of his family. "Who is this again?"

_< "It's us!">_ The voices now were reduced enough that the man could make out two distinct ones on the other end, and they continued to tickle his memory but without connecting. He imagined, based on the pitches and tones, them to be coming from a pair of ladies, but again he couldn't for the life of himself figure out who they could be. The speakers on the other end continued. _< "Come on, you know who this is. Anyway, we all thought you deserved an extremely long distance surprise call on your birthday. We can't hold the connection long, so from all of us here, and the rest of The Crew™, happy birthday, dude!">_ Laughter erupted once again, followed by a louder shout obviously directed to the remote audience. A Polaroid camera could be heard in the background spooling out a just taken photograph.

_< "Alright you dorks and pirates, say goodbye to the birthday boy!">_

_< "Bye! I'll send you a picture!">_

_< "Take care!">_

_< "Keep writing!">_

_< "Laters!">_

_< "See ya around, boss!">_

The call disconnected, leaving the man staring quietly at the handset. He set it back on its charging base and set himself back at his desk. As he resumed his typing, a small smile grew on his face.

_Hella nice way to start the day._

* * *

* * *

**December 19, 2050 (Z + 42)  
Late afternoon**

With a nod, the computer came to life once again.

>REPLAY<

The screen blanked for a moment, random patterns of noise coalesced from the data's analysis into a coherent but often fuzzy and out-of-focus rendering, and then proceeded to play events forward. Information on the side of the screen showed the origins.

**Statistics**  
Evolution #:27  
Iteration #:18  
Last Timestamp:02-05-2024 (Z +16) [1714688520]  
Reconstruction  
confidence:89%

* * *

**Evening**   
**A lecture hall**

"… in conclusion, information (I) is the true driver of reality, and a signal (S), which is data with a six-dimensional vector (|I6|), can effect a delta (∆I) upon the receiver independent of causal effects. You can find my full paper for review in the department's archive, under index 1007. Price, Chloe E. Are there any questions?"

The woman behind the podium finished her speech to the sound of quiet murmurs, and after a few moments those discussions trailed off. A minute passed while she stood there in her casual jeans, light blue button-down shirt gazing into the darkened audience. She couldn't see their expressions due to the stage lighting, yet she could feel their skepticism by the weight of the silence. She absentmindedly flipped her student id, hanging from a lanyard around her neck, as she awaited any queries from the crowd of peers.

_They have no idea what they just learned._ It didn't surprise her in the least. She knew things that no one else in the world even hinted at much less had a working and testable theory. Her age probably added to their disbelief as well. Most of the fuckers are well past their prime and here she is, all of 27 years old and smarter than all of them combined. _And hella hot too, never forget that._ That last thought brought an old friend to the foreground, a rebellious smirk painted her face and her sapphire blue eyes dared anyone to challenge her.

Footsteps approached from stage left.

"That went well." A middle-aged gentleman in dark grey trousers, white dress shirt and covered in a comfortable cardigan approached the speaker's platform. He motioned with his hand to lead the woman off to the right.

"Hey Doc, yeah. I guess. Sounds like I'm in for the critique of the century." They both left the stage and walked out to the hallway outside the auditorium, pausing only long enough for the woman to retrieve the worn backpack she'd set aside near the exit and slung it over her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Chloe. Your theories are brilliant and fresh. It'll take some time, but the good ones will see that too."

"I know, but I worry more about the not-so-good ones. Will their opinions impact the review? I mean, the test results support the theory, it's all there for them to see."

The mentor noted the anxiety in his student's voice. "Calmly, Chloe… relax, don't get worked up about it. This is just part of the process and one I had to go through myself many times. I'll be there to smooth out the rough spots."

"Thanks Doc, I couldn't have gotten this far without you as my sponsor."

The pair stopped in front of a dark oak door with a brass nameplate beside it.

Henry Blenstat PhD.  
Theoretical Physics

The older man opened the door into a spacious office, far bigger than the closet the woman shared with another grad student. Thick carpeting, wall-to-wall bookcases, and a large desk adorned the room; it even had the luxury of windows. The man turned back toward his student.

"Alright Chloe, I have about 2 hours of papers to go through and then this old man is going to call it a night. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, and we'll go through the final points. Bring coffee, we're going to need it."

"I'll be there. Thanks again." The woman gave him a quick, professional handshake and continued down the hall and out into the dark spring night.

A figure hidden in shadows watched her walk away from the building and moments later followed unseen. He had been observing his target for weeks and had sat there as she spoke. _What scientific drivel!_ It made him want to puke that such a young person would dare try to upset the status quo. She was a mockery to the scientific community and her theories of reality destroyed everything he had worked on for the past twenty years. He p̸i̸c̷k̵e̴d̷ ̶ up his pace, quietly closing the distance. He knew of a place a̴l̶o̷n̴g̵ ̷h̵e̶r̶ ̸r̴o̸u̸t̵e̴ where no one would be. The̵ ̵i̸n̶d̵i̸v̵i̷d̷u̵a̶l̴ held something í̸̡̧ṉ̴͊́ his right h⎕nd, low agai⎕st his side, whi̵c̵h̵ ̶g̸l̷i̵n̷t̷e̶d̷ ̶o̵c̸c̴a̵s̵i̸o̴n̶ally in the ⎕⎕ssing str⎕etli⎕⎕⎕s. ⎕⎕Whi⎕e he was fo⎕⎕ow⎕ng and intent on his target, the shadowy person fai⎕⎕d to not⎕⎕⎕ ⎕hat he t⎕⎕⎕⎕⎕⎕⎕ ⎕⎕⎕⎕ ⎕ollo⎕⎕d. ⎕9⎕0afw3;oq3 1;23dn0aada !$!@# @

* * *

The screen froze for a moment, jittered around, bent, rolled, and pixelated while a piercing shriek of random, scratchy sounds erupted from the computer's speakers.

"What the fuck was that!?"

The woman in the wheelchair tilted her head back and let the images twist and distort on the monitor but winced as more random noise hammered into her ears. She moved, and the harsh sounds became tolerable, which allowed her to ponder what she had just seen; something important had just taken place which might explain why the timestream collapsed without the expected signal. She directed the computer to repeat the simulation, but it stubbornly refused to comply.

[ **System Error** ]  
Reconstruction  
confidence:0% (recalculating)

"Trouble?" A voice from behind interrupted her struggle with the computer.

The scientist sighed, backed up a bit and swiveled her chair around to see a middle-aged lady standing in the doorway. Her blonde hair glowed with the backlight from the room beyond, and she had a concerned expression on her face.

"The system crashed."

"A bug?"

"No… I don't think so. We've done this dozens of times before and haven't seen this behavior."

"Have you looked at the telemetry?"

The woman in the wheelchair shook her head slowly. "It literally just happened; I haven't had time yet."

"Heh! Time… Chloe, you keep telling me that we have all the time in the world. Or was the great Dr. Chloe Elizabeth Price, super-genius, actually… hmm… wait for it… mistaken?"

"Hey! I know I'm not always right!"

"Though sometimes, only occasionally, a person would believe exactly the opposite when talking to you." The woman laughed lightly as she approached the computer and kneeled beside her friend.

"Well, okay, maybe you got me there; some people are just clueless. In this case, you're the engineer and you know the code for this stuff, what do you think?"

"I think we need to see what the logs show. Do you mind if I drive?" She slid a keyboard from beside the machine where it is usually sat unused and began entering queries. A new window opened on the side monitor and data began scrolling rapidly.

The scientist shook her head again and moved as close as she could to the monitor, watching over her friend's shoulder. "What are you looking for?"

"First, I'll validate the logs. If the crash happened in the core system, we should see the last valid entry before things crapped out. Then, we'll see what we can find." The kneeling woman watched as thousands of lines of text passed by, then the stream of data stopped suddenly. She narrowed her hazel eyes in concentration as she read the final lines.

**DBF03:12** : (Trace):IncomingData::newDataHandler  
 **DBF04:12** : (Trace):IncomingData::backtrackSource  
 **DBF05:12** : (Trace):IncomingData::parseData  
 **DBF06:12** : (Trace):IncomingData::updateState  
 **DBF07:12** : (Trace):IncomingData::combineDataState  
 **DBF08:12** : ( info):Event base timestamp reset. {Value: 0}  
 **DBF09:12** : (Error):divideByZeroException!  
 **DBF0A:12** : (Error):Event timestamp {Value: 0; Expected > 0}  
 **DBF0B:12** : ( info):This will never happen  
 **DBF0C:12** : ( info):Consume this error  
 **DBF0D:13** : (Trace):IncomingData::calculate  
 **DBF0E:13** : (Error):invalidRangeException  
 **DBF0F:13** : ( info):Mathematical error  
 **DBF10:13** : ( info):imaginary numbers  
 **DBF11:13** : ( info):This will never happen  
 **DBF12:13** : ( info): ** _Bad Fucking Things_** if it does  
 **DBF13:13** : (Trace):System::allocatePriorityCores  
 **DBF14:99** : ( NMI):HARDWARE_FAILURE_CPU_CLOCK  
 **DBF15:99** : ( NMI):HARDWARE_FAILURE_CPU_THREADING  
 **DBF16:99** : ( NMI):HARDWARE_FAILURE_CPU_L2  
 **DBF17:99** : ( NMI):HARDWARE_FAILURE_CPU_OVERTEMP  
 **DBF18:99** : ( NMI):HARDWARE_FAILURE_CPU_SURRENDERS

"Well, I know why it crashed."

Chloe's eye's widened as she switched her attention to the engineer. "Huh? Why?"

"New data showed up while it was running."

"Wh… what? How? That can't happen!" The scientist moved her chair closer to the screen and scrutinized the information.

"I know, and that's what we told the intern. I reviewed his code too." She pressed a few more keys.

"Yeah."

The engineer pointed to the screen. "See, right here. He coded it to ignore these issues since it wasn't supposed to be able to happen."

The chair-bound woman looked back and forth between the read-out and her friend; one could almost hear the gears running in her mind as the scientist contemplated the situation. "But that means…"

"That means Dr. Price missed something." The woman sat back from the desk after interrupting her friend and looked up. "Doesn't it?" A slightly smug look of friendly competition crossed her face.

"Obviously. I mean, I've always said we're going down a brand-new path, completely new and one that no one else has. There's always going to be unknowns."

"Looks like we found one."

"It does indeed," the scientist thought for a moment, "but I don't think we missed anything. I think something changed. It's the only thing that fits the theories but allows for this. I wonder…"

The two ladies were interrupted by the ringing sound of the front doorbell; someone had come to visit.

"Do you want me to get that, Chloe?"

"Yeah, please. I want to review the info we have." The grey-haired scientist turned back to the monitor, as her coworker stood and left the room. Intent on finding a clue to what had gone wrong, the greyed woman rewound the stream and slowly scrolled through the log. In the background she heard the front door open and parts of a conversation.

"Hello? Can I help you?"

...

"You're who? I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong address."

…

"Hang on a second." Then the voice from the front got louder. "Chloe!? You need to roll your wheelchaired ass over here right now!"

The scholar looked over her shoulder towards the sound, sighed, and turned her wheelchair away from the scrolling information illuminated on the screen and wheeled across the room. As she approached the front door at the end of the hallway of her simple home, she could see her friend standing in front of the open entryway looking back with wide hazel eyes and skin as pale as if she'd seen a ghost. A pair of people stood on the other side of the doorway.

"What is it, Rach? Guests?"

"Uhm… kinda... you… you've got to see this." The flustered woman at the door turned back to their unexpected visitors and motioned them in. Her eyes followed the pair as they entered. She closed the door behind them, leaned her back on the wall, and then locked her stare on her seated associate. "I think a load of work just landed on us."

The scientist nodded to her associate and observed the two as they entered, two younger women, one clearly in her late teens, the other in her mid-twenties. Both had similar features and while the blonde kid was not immediately recognizable, the old woman knew instantly the young woman standing beside the teen. She had blonde hair too, hair that the greying woman remembered intimately because it had been her own. She raised a single eyebrow as she recognized the lanyard and student ID around the woman's neck and a worn backpack slung over her right shoulder but was interrupted in her thoughts as the partially familiar youth began to speak.

"Uhm… I know this is… shit… I couldn't just stand there and let it happen. But… I… I don't know what… to do." The teen was almost in tears, her wide, crystal blue eyes were brimming with water, and the girl was visibly shaking. She ran a nervous hand through her sweaty hair, revealing a red streak. "I don't even know where I am!"

Dr. Chloe Elizabeth Price, one of the foremost minds in multidimensional, advanced relativity, and astrophysics was not used to being surprised. She gaped, her mouth dropped to the floor, and sat speechless while her brain ran in little circles trying to get a grip on the situation. The other women stood there silently waiting for the other to continue.

With a swipe of her blonde hair the older of the two guests broke the stalemate in a confident, if not slightly cocky, fashion. "We need to talk because this shit just got fucking real. I have got a story for you."

That evening, with an absurd amount of coffee, three women and a scared teenager helped adjust The Plan™; one that had stood the test of time for many years without fail. As it would happen, the scientist's intuition had been right; she hadn't missed anything, instead something had indeed changed, something completely different. But that’s science. Sometimes new, exciting, and entirely unexpected results change the course of history… or the universe as we know it.

* * *

**October 4 th, 2013 (Z + 5)**   
**Evening**   
**The Dark Room**

"GUN!" David's voice.

**_BANG!_ ** The report of a handgun.

Pain…

"Get her out of here!"

Time to sleep. "See ya' around First Mate."

Darkness...

* * *

**January 04, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Max’s place  
Seattle  
Late afternoon **

"So yeah, that happened." The scientist with blonde hair shrugged.

"Y… you got… shot?" The brunette's body started to shake as memories of another time and place flooded her mind. It was like watching a movie, but one that had degraded film and audio. Her eyes filled with water as the yellowed scene replayed.

…A grungy school bathroom…

…Two occupants pressed up against the entry door…

…A butterfly…

The recollection slowed to a crawl as her mind focused on the girl.

Her Chloe.

The only person that mattered.

Her everything.

The vision slowly zoomed in and showed every detail. Max's heart swelled with unbelievable love, yet simultaneously seized with abject terror.

Beautiful… blue… hair…

Incredible… fantastic… ivory… skin…

And… Oh my Dog, those… all… consuming… sapphire… eyes!

The memories immediately snapped back to full speed.

"Nobody would ever even miss your 'punk ass' would they?"

**_BANG!_ **

The scene froze as sound of the gunshot echoed off the walls. The noise attenuated into a loud ringing in her ears, one that grew in volume until it crowded out all thoughts. The recollection dissolved in front of her eyes and was replaced with the perfect but concerned features of her girlfriend.

"Chloe!" The smaller girl immediately wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and buried her tear-soaked face in the crook of the older girl's shoulder.

"Max, it's alright… I gotcha…" The slender girl enfolded her stricken friend with her own arms and slowly rocked side to side while muffled sobs emphasized how badly hurting the brunette was. The two remained snugly pressed together for several moments while the tension wound down. Eventually the crying silenced and the freckled face moved to within a hair's breadth of the other's.

"Sorry. Bad memories." A hand reached up and cradled the younger girl's cheek while a thumb gently swiped her tears away; erasing the pain with the tenderness and love only a soulmate can give.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Shit! I'm an asshole. I should have rephrased it, ya know, because of what you went through."

"No, I needed to hear it. It's been 5 years," the girl gestured to her streaked face and puffy eyes, "but it still triggers this." She pointed at her own reddened eyes and streaked cheeks.

"I'm here Maxi. Look I survived and…" the blonde paused momentarily, "oh, dude! You wanna see it? The scar?"

"What? No, no I don't!"

"Aw, come on! It's hella awesome!"

The excitement in her girlfriend's voice told the brunette that it was indeed awesome. But what convinced the recovering girl was the twinkle in her friend's cobalt eyes. _Chloe is proud of this, in a weird and absurdly twisted way._ "Way to change the mood, dork! Uhm… I'm going to regret this aren't I?"

"Not at all! I've got myself a full-blown battle scar. I wouldn't be Captain without a real one, and I lived to tell the tale." The blonde released her friend and stood up and turned her back to the still seated girl. She lifted the back of her shirt to expose the perfect pale skin of her lower back; perfect, that is, except for a puckered blemish the size of a pirate's gold coin. Max's eyes went wide as she moved in to get a better look. There was tattooed writing and a stylized arrow pointing to the wound.

October 4th, 2013  
For my First Mate  
Because you're worth it

She looked up and was met by the blue gaze of her beautiful partner. "Y… you… did that for… her?"

"Well, uhm… yeah, for you. Duh! I couldn't let anything happen to you. Not even The Plan™ could have changed that. You're my Max!" The blonde leaned closer and kissed her girlfriend on the forehead.

"Does it hurt?" She looked back down and ran her fingers tenderly over the bumpy scar, causing goosebumps to appear; the taller girl shivered slightly at the electric-like touch.

"Not anymore." A smile rose from her lips as the younger girl continued to gently explore the exposed skin. "And never when you do that. Oh. Don't stop."

Suddenly embarrassed, the girl looked up again and saw the smile on her girlfriend had morphed into that amazing, signature smirk and was accented by eyebrows that bounced up and down. A bright pink frosted her complexion, making the freckles on her cheeks fade, and she quickly pulled her hand and leaned back into the couch.

"You are so easy to fluster, Maxi-Max!"

"Shut up! I…" She tried to change the subject, "… really, does it hurt?"

Pulling her shirt down, the tall blonde stretched, relaxed, and sat cross-legged on the floor facing her partner, her hands propping her up from behind.

"Nope. Not even a little. It just acts as a reminder to me that there's a reason I'm doing all of this."

"I still can't believe it. Even in this stream, you got shot."

"Technically speaking he missed, but the ricochet didn't. If he hadn't, we wouldn't be talking right now."

"Missed?"

"Yeah, he hit the floor and the slug bounced. Not gonna lie, it hurt like hell. But the bullet had been deformed so when it hit it only went into the muscle layer. That's why the wound is so big, didn't even fragment. I was taken to the hospital and stayed there for four days."

"What about the other me?"

"That night, David took you to a friend of his, a medic from one of his tours of duty. The dude checked you out, no questions asked, and then Stepdad got you back to the dorms. For all intents and purposes, all you ever knew was that you'd gotten drunk but somehow managed to make it back to your room before passing out. Katie kept an eye on you while I was in the hospital and we both had to make statements to the police."

"The police?"

"Well, not exactly. The Feds. David was really hit hard by me getting shot. He really is a chill dude; I don't know why I never saw it. Anyway, he called in another favor; he's really connected it turns out. Two days after I got shot, this really slick babe shows up, all MiB and everything. She never took her sunglasses either, now that I think of it. She took my statement and then later Katie texted me that she'd been questioned too. That's it. End of story. Never saw the chick again and no one asked me about the situation."

"What happened to, uhm… them?"

"Nathan is in a mental institution. He turned witness against Jefferson and avoided prison, but he's in for a life of straight-jackets, about a hundred different medicines a day, and runny eggs for breakfast. "

"Good, it's better than he deserves. If it were me, I'd have shot him a dozen times after what he did to you. And then rewound to do it again."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side, sweetie."

"You could never." The brunette leaned forward and quickly kissed the top of her girlfriend's forehead. "I only reserve that for people that try to kill My Chloe."

With a quick wink, the sitting girl continued. "Mmm. Maximum Possessiveness, kinda hot dude, kinda like it… a lot."

"Never letting you go, Chlo. What about…?"

"Mister Crash-test Dummy? The Feds raided Blackwell and his house the following day and took all the evidence from the bunker. And it turns out he was implicated in at least a dozen missing person cases, all women. As far as I know they only have been able to find… one."

"Rachel."

The taller girl's smirk faded to a flat line and she slumped her shoulders.

"He got her, and they found her body in the junkyard just like I'd overheard."

"You okay?"

"I am. It's just such a waste. I mean, I've come to terms with it, but I did in fact love her. So yeah, it hurts. Even when you're here now I'm sure I'll still think of her from time to time. I think of how full of life she was and the shit we got in to, it was hella awesome. Like I said earlier, I see her in my dreams."

"It's all good, babe. If you ever want to talk, I'll listen, and I will never hold it against you. Think about it this way, maybe a part of her lives on inside you. I mean, if I can time travel, who's to say other things aren't possible?"

"Isn't that the damned truth. So anyway, Jefferson was tried and convicted of multiple accounts of kidnapping, assault, rape, and aggravated first degree murder. Once convicted, the judge sent word to the only live victims to consider the death penalty. Since you had no memory of the events, I had to make the call."

"What did you decide?"

"I had to think really hard about it. I had been shot, almost killed, lost Rachel, and almost lost you as well by the hands of that monster. It was tough, and me, Mom, and David had long discussions about it. At the end, we decided that taking another life wasn't something I wanted on my conscience no matter how much he deserved it. So, I spared the dude's worthless life, but Stepdad and I made a recommendation as well."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We asked for multiple life-time sentences to a super max prison. And before you ask, yeah, your old nickname is what made me think of it."

"I can live with that. So?"

"No parole either, so the fucker is in forever. But I think this is something that you'll appreciate, we had him sent to the worst of the worst; ADX Florence in Colorado where the nastiest serial killers, gang leaders, and other trash of society end up. And here's the thing… the warden is an ex-military guy. Guess who knows the top screw at Florence?"

"Does his name start with a D?"

**[WARNING: Sensitive topic]**

"It does indeed! David and I, along with his friends in the Feds and the Department of Corrections, have arranged special, carefully hand-picked treatment for Jefferson for the rest of his life. I hear the badasses in that prison enjoy handing Fuck Face around, treating him real nice, making his stay… ever so enjoyable. And the warden just looks the other way. In fact, because of this, the warden says hostility towards the guards and himself has been reduced significantly. I guess he's known for being hard but fair and the inmates see him turning a blind eye as a positive."

"Special treatment?"

"Very special like him being someone's bitch is the least of his problems. And a couple of other things. They didn't do a very good job dealing with his injuries so he's in constant pain, I won't go into the details, just that he is seriously messed up. But the frosting on the cake is that the warden let slip that his injuries were caused by yours truly. Dude, I even got a letter from one of the inmates saying I ' _… do good work_ ' and thanking me for ' _… the new play toy._ ' "

**[WARNING: Sensitive topic]**

"That's insane!"

"I know, right? I have a rep and everything. Pretty tough shit if I do say so!"

"And humble too, I see."

"Oh, come on Maximus! Super villains telling Captain Bluebeard _thanks_ is fucking awesome!"

"I'll take your word for it, nerd." The freckled time traveler leaned forward again and teasingly shoved her girl to show just how truly badass her Captain was.

"Takes one to know one, dork." The taller girl recovered, moved closer and pulled her girlfriend off the couch by the feet. Landing with an ' _oof,_ ' the smaller girl grinned and launched herself forward to shove back which quickly devolved into a series of back and forth poking, dodging, shoving, and playful goofing off. Laughter filled the room for many minutes until the need for air became critical.

After catching their breath, the shorter girl looked at the clock. "Wow, we've been at this for a while. It's almost dinner time. What's left?"

"Not much. Hey, you wanna blow this place and eat out tonight? My treat.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Italian. I know this great little place a couple of blocks from here. I can tell you the rest while we're eating."

"You mean Dino's?"

"Yeah, you know it?"

"Uh huh. Good garlic bread!"

"Oh dude! You just made me so hungry!"

The blonde stood up and helped her freckled girlfriend to her feet. The shorter girl looked around, thought for a moment then shrugged.

"Uhm… Chlo?"

"What up, Maxi?"

"Your place or mine tonight? I mean, are we coming back here or not?"

The scientist thought for a moment. "I donno. It's too late to hit The U today, I have data that needs to get to the lab, but I left it at my place. Would you mind?"

"Not at all. I just need to grab a bag. You mind cleaning up while I do that?"

"Don't mind, but you know you can always say _fuck it_ , right?"

A shiver went through the brunette as she stared at her beautiful girlfriend. "Wow, Chloe. You have no idea how much you just sounded like your old self. You really haven't changed, have you?"

"Not really, dork. I mean, I have when compared to before I returned to school. I'm smarter, more experienced, you know, shit like that. But with you, I feel like we've never been apart." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Fuck! See what you do to me? That was hella goopy. Go on, I'll take care of this shit. Then let's jet."

The two separated about their tasks. The taller collected dirty dishes from the coffee table, placing them in the dishwasher. Grabbing her boots, she went back and started getting ready to leave. Her girlfriend, the freckled beauty that she was, returned moments later donning a familiar and very worn hoodie and a bag slung over her shoulder.

It was Chloe's turn to drop her jaw to the ground as she recalled Max's exact appearance so many years ago. "Dude, damn babe! You haven't changed a bit." It was like jumping into the past.

"A little older, a little more frayed around the edges I guess."

"You look so fucking awesome! I wouldn't have it any other way." She stood up having laced her boots and offered the brunette her hand. "Come on, let's grab some food."

Together, they left the apartment and headed to their favorite Italian restaurant.

* * *

The quiet sounds of utensils against plates filled the room as the two girlfriends awaited their order. They were seated along the back two corners facing outward to the rest of the room as their small linen covered table was tucked neatly aside the half-wall of the service station. Unbeknownst to them, it was their favorite spot at Dino's Ristorante' Italiano and both of them surprised each other when they had simultaneously requested it. The setting had a small candle as a centerpiece and a bottle of Chianti beside it. An arm reached for the bottle and topped off both of their glasses exactly as a well-trained waiter does.

The waiter, a short, young, and eager college-age man wore a white half-apron over black pants, shiny black shoes, and the requisite white button-down shirt and black tie. Classic wait-staff attire. His nametag read 'Peter.' "And it's nice to see you back, Chloe. I've taken over your table while Kris grabs a break. How's vacation going for you?"

"Hey, Pete. It's been alright. Reconnected with an old friend." The woman gestured to her freckle-faced companion. "This is Max. Max, Pete. He's one of my undergrads and a whiz running the lab. I guess his," she paused and used air quotes, " _engineering degree_ is teaching him something."

"Chloe? That's not nice."

"No, don't worry about it, Max," the waiter interrupted, "she gives me shit all the time. And she has plenty of that too because, like all you eggheads, the only thing she does is sit around and _think about crap all day_. And her head is full of it. It's us engineering types that makes it work." Peter could play the game too, like a pro.

Max couldn't stifle a giggle. "Yeah, she's definitely full of shit."

"Nice one." The two work partners bumped fists.

"I'll leave you two be and see about your order. Nice meeting you, Max." He withdrew to handle his other customers.

"You really are something, you know that?"

"Yup. Work hard, play hard, and give em shit the whole time. Keeps everyone casual."

"So… does he know? About The Plan™?"

"Partially. He knows we're experimenting with a unique signal and transmission method. But not why."

"Isn't that a risk?"

"Nah. Don't worry, the real secret is only between you, me, and Kate."

"I still can't believe your punk-ass has a lab."

"Hold up there, Maxi. Punk-ass? I think you mean Captain Punk-ass, yeah?

"You are such a nerd. Sorry for the oversight oh great leader." She shoved her seated companion lightly.

"And dude, the lab totally rocks! I can't wait to show you around!" The blonde whole body bounced slightly in her chair, an energy that was infectious.

"Oh my Dog, Chloe! You're like a kid!" Another nudge with her shoulder caused the taller girl to retaliate in kind.

"Yeah, a kid with hella expensive, cool shit to mess with. It really is fucking awesome."

"I can just imagine you in a lab coat and protective goggles doing creepy-weird experiments that'll wipe out the universe."

"Save the universe, dork. Remember? And I look hot as fuck in the lab gear, babe. Just you wait."

"When are we going?" The brunette scooched her chair nearer her companion and lean into her side, content with the surroundings and feelings.

"Like I said, it's too late tonight so how about first thing tomorrow. I'll show you around while the systems analyze the latest findings. It's super cool."

"I bet." Max let the sentence trail off and a comfortable silence was only punctuated by other patrons' muted conversations. The waiter returned with plates, and a small cutting board complete with a serrated knife and a loaf of garlic bread. The casual quiet remained as the two focused on into the appetizer.

"I've miffed thiff fo mushf! Ifth beem momfths." The blonde could hardly get her words out as her mouth was filled to the cheeks with garlicy goodness.

The brunette, much less of a food vacuum, giggled between bites. "Do you have to inhale it? Look, there's hardly any left for the rest of The Crew! You're gonna starve us, Captain!"

A bread muffled huff was the only sound the pirate Captain could make. She reached for another piece while not having finished her current mouthful. "More!"

The brunette set her own food down and looked into those beautiful pools of blue and noticed they were starting to water from the effort her girlfriend was putting in to chew through what could have been the whole loaf. "You really should leave room for dinner," she paused waiting for the exact moment, her keen photographer's eye saw all the minute details… right… now! Just as her Captain started to swallow the younger girl moved her hand unseen to her girlfriend's thigh and squeezed, "and dessert." She winked, leaned back quickly to avoid what she knew would happen.

The blonde's face froze, and she inhaled at just the wrong time sending pieces of crusty bread down the wrong path. Immediately her face turned the exact shade of blue her hair had been so long ago. Spasms shook her body as she groped blindly for her napkin which wasn't in her lap where she'd left it.

"Looking for this?" Her brunette partner daintily showed her the linen napkin she'd stolen, and the scientist, nerd, and Captain pleaded with her slightly crossed eyes for relief. She held out the napkin to her partner and couldn't contain the laughter anymore. "HA! HA! HA! Chloe! HA! HA! Your face! HA! HA! HA! HA!" She doubled over in her chair while she tried to breath. "HA! HA! HA!"

The trembling girl lurched for the napkin and grabbed it just in time for an uncontrollable bout of coughing and gagging. She squeezed her eyes shut and her face went crimson. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the thoroughly embarrassed girl got her fit under control and glared at the still laughing brunette.

"You are so gonna get it." She poked the ribs of her tormenter which elicited more laughter. "Max, come on staaawp!" While recovering, the scientist became introspective; she wasn't used to being embarrassed, and certainly not in public. She'd gained huge boosts to her confidence over the years with every accomplishment and earned achievement. She was hot shit, she knew it, and continued to prove it, usually to some of the older close-minded dudes who called themselves scientists. But everything was different now. ' _No, not different… better._ ' Max was with her; the only person in the world that could keep up and go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Captain Bluebeard. And the First Mate could give back as much as she received. As these deeper thoughts focused her attention, the laughter of her girlfriend died down and the two quietly gazed upon the other. A concept formed in the brilliant mind; a question that would need to be figured out. But she had the right partner for the task.

"Max?"

Still lightly giggling the freckled girl answered with a quiet "Mmm?"

"Something is different. No, not different… better. But I can't explain why."

"What do you mean?" The brunette gave her blonde girlfriend all her attention and got suddenly serious.

"You. I mean, not you per-se, but something has changed."

"Me? Like, how? Do I have a zit or something?"

"Ewww! Dude, no not you physically, Maxi. It's just… you know… hang on a sec…" The woman stopped talking abruptly as the waiter approached again, this time carrying a tray with their order.

"Max, I think the chicken marsala is yours," Pete carefully placed the dinner in front of the brunette. "Careful, the plate is hot."

"And of course, here's your usual, Chloe." With equal care, he set a plate of rigatoni in front of his associate.

"Will there be anything else?"

"I dunno. Max?" The blonde deferred to her partner.

The younger woman surveyed the table and gave special attention to the delicious looking, steaming hot entrees set before each of them. All looked in order. "Pete, everything looks fantastic. Thanks, I think we're good."

Peter professionally placed the tray under his arm, reached for the wine bottle and topped off both girl's glasses; with a professional twist of the bottle to keep it from dripping between pours. He set the bottle back in its place. "Let me know if I can get you anything else."

"Got it, thanks Pete."

With a nod and a quick _'enjoy your dinners_ ' Pete withdrew once again.

Max watched him leave and then focused her attention back to the blonde sitting next to her. She could tell Chloe was restraining herself from diving right into her food. It made her happy to see her girlfriend act so much like her previous self and she'd always been ravenous. But the more she thought about it she was so much more pleased by how much the woman had grown and matured.

The room grew mute and became more of a background and the scene practically froze as she daydreamed about her partner; translucent images began to overlay the scene. A young Chloe approached the table, outfitted in her pirate gear and stood to one side of the blonde. Another early-teen version turned the corner and stood behind the pirate, this one dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans. Both quietly stood silently as a final, older Chloe with blue hair coalesced behind them both looking exactly as she had almost five years ago. The punk hanged a tattooed arm over the taller one's shoulder and together they turned their attention first to the freeze-framed blonde and surveyed the object of Max's affection. The punk carefully poked a finger into the sauce on top of Chloe's dinner and stuck it in her mouth to sample the cuisine, then smirked in approval as they focused back at the dreamer. This simple action filled the time traveler's heart with a joy that was indescribable. She reveled in the feeling and got lost in a lifetime of beauty, blue eyes, tattoos, blonde and blue hair, pirates, and punks. The three moved closer to the seated blonde and one by one, starting with the youngest, merged with their host. The punk rocker paused before seating herself, gave Max a quick wink and then faded into the blonde as well. The scene slowly resumed its normal tempo and a single, happy tear found its way down the freckled cheek. She let out a content sigh as the sounds and focus of the restaurant returned.

"Whoa…" the blonde suddenly stopped staring hungrily at her food as a shiver resonated through her body. It was an electric, fuzzy, yet strangely familiar feeling. "… what just… Max? Why are you crying?"

The brunette shook her head to clear it and wiped her cheek with the palm of her hand. "Uh… no, nothing's wrong. Hmm, I think I zoned out for a moment."

"But what were you thinking about? Why the waterworks? You're so serious now."

"Happy tears, Chlo. And who do _you_ think I would be thinking about?"

"I don't know… the list is awful long." The heart of a pirate Captain couldn't help but tease back in an attempt to ease the mood, and she knew exactly where to poke. "Maybe you're thinking of your former boyfriends. You know, the First Mate's conquests of the past?" Her eyebrows bounced up and down and a pleased smile overtook her features.

The younger woman quickly straightened her back, her revere completely shut down, and her shocked eyes grew wide as the platters set in front of them; she brought both hands to cover her mouth. "Wh… what?! Eww! No!" She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no… No!"

"HA! HA! HA! Got you back, nerd!" With the atmosphere lightened the blonde started in on her dinner, leaving her mocked companion to defend herself.

"Chloe! That's not fair! You know I've only ever been interested in one person!"

"Alright, Chillax Max, I'm messing with you. It's all good. But seriously, what were you all daydreamy about?"

The brunette started in on her own meal, slowly at first but quickly with added gusto as flavors of braised chicken and mushrooms mixed with the rich marinara of the pasta side. "I saw you sitting right where you are now and everything froze, like when I stop time. But it was different because earlier versions of you, like echoes from the past came up to our table. Your punk self even had a taste of your dinner. Then they sat exactly where you are, kinda like dissolving into you. Then everything returned to normal. It was weird and I don't remember it ever happening before. But I got the feeling the different versions of you were pleased by how things have turned out so far."

The scientist in her automatically became interested, wanting to learn more. "And you say time stopped? Like you did it on purpose?"

"No, nothing like what I've been able to do previously. What does it mean?"

"I don't know Maxi. Dang, I wish I had my gear with me. That could have been interesting to record and measure. Oh the things I could learn. We should get to the lab tomorrow and work up a set of tests. I… er… do you mind? There's so much to do. I wonder if its related to…"

Max interrupted the excited scientist and giggled at the thought of her partner's sciency brain tearing into new problems; she'd always been a whiz at math and science, and it showed now. "Related to what?"

"Well, for one the fact that just before you snapped out of it I got this strange feeling. But more importantly I wonder why… uhm… bad shit… hasn't happened. Remember what the instructions said?"

" ** _Bad Fucking Things_** … if you get too close."

"Yeah. That. And if I think about it, every time in the past that's pretty much what happened. Weird, destructive, and sometimes life-threatening events would occur whenever we were near each other. Shit, even getting shot was probably part of it. It's one aspect of The Plan™ that I've never figured out, I can't explain it."

"But now, you're saying nothing's happening?"

"Yeah, by my recollection all hell should be breaking loose. These last days have been the closest and longest I've had you within arm's reach for five years. And nothing's happened… yet. That doesn't fit the pattern."

"That's the scientist in you talking. What does your gut tell you?"

"I donno, babe. Just that something is different. I mean, we know the other you was around so you could show up when you did, like it was designed that wa,y which I guess in a sense it was. But that means it's something about… don't take offense Maximus, something about you."

"I don't know what that could be. But maybe it would help if we got to the lab." The brunette was average at best with science, she'd always relied upon Chloe to help her out. "You say you can measure some of this shit?"

"I'd have to think about it, run some numbers. I've made a couple of major breakthroughs, I think, but the latest still needs to be verified. We can do that tomorrow; you know, get the computers to start crunching numbers. Then we can come up with some simple tests and gather more readings."

"Sounds like a plan. How's your dinner?"

"Awesomesauce. Yours?"

"Good. I've had it before. It's just so much better when it's with you. Wanna bite?"

"Goopy Max, real goopy. But I thought you'd never ask. Gimme." The blonde opened her mouth wide as her girlfriend cut a generous portion and hand fed it to her.

"You are still a bottomless pit."

"Gotta feed the beast. This hotness doesn't fuel itself."

"So true. Don't ever change, Chlo."

"For you? Never."

The girls continued back and forth talking of less consequential topics, shared the rest of their meals, and sipped on their remaining wine. It was a completely comfortable setting with two best friends, pirates, partners, and girlfriends relaxing in each other's company. It was a perfect ending to a great day. Both knew there was a shit-ton of work to do, but that was for another day.


	10. The Winds of Change

**December 21, 2050 (Z + 42)  
After breakfast**

Dishes clinked as Rachel placed the breakfast plates and utensils into the dishwasher. It was fuller than normal for the past couple of days due to herself and two unexpected guests that had shown up literally out of the blue. The small single-story house that her friend and coworker owned in the suburbs outside of Seattle was crowded, but they had all made do without getting in the way of their wheelchair-bound host.

"Do you think we should wake her?" Having almost finished her meal, the mid-twenties Chloe looked up and casually eyed the plate containing the remaining bacon and pancakes. Her hand slowly inched forward reaching for more.

"The poor girl. She's been out for almost 23 hours." Their host chimed in and then looked the student directly into blue eyes that were identical to her own. "But, that doesn't mean, Chloe, that you have to eat her share. Where the heck do you even put it?"

"Oh, come on, Boss! You're me, and I'm you. You've got to remember being a food vacuum."

The middle-aged woman smirked and let out a light laugh in response to the nickname she'd been given. "That was a long time ago." She took the opportunity to reflect upon the younger version of herself sitting in front of her; one that had, at her age, surpassed her own academic accomplishments. On the one hand, that was how The Plan™ was supposed to work, but on the other hand it was nice to see progress with one's own two eyes.

"Not so long ago. Sure, you're old as fuck now…"

From behind the two, and still cleaning up the mess, Rachel turned, put a single hand on her hip, and interrupted the friendly quip. "Hey! We," she motioned between herself and her lightly greying friend, "are not old as fuck. This," both hands moved from top to bottom as the woman presented her entire form to her audience, "is still a hot work of art, thank you very much!" She couldn't help but tilt her head and cock one of her eyebrows. A gleam reflected off her hazel eyes daring the young blonde to argue.

"Do not remind me, Rach, and yeah you still got it. Fuck, you've hardly aged at all. Even from my perspective you look almost exactly like you used to, and for me that was eight years ago." The student sighed heavily as she sat there gazing at the familiar, yet clearly older and more mature Rachel. "I'm still not entirely sure how you can be here, when I know you've been dead all this time."

"Oh Chloe, you're such a softie, and thanks for the compliment. It takes a lot of work to keep up my red-hot maximum hella good looks. But I never went through what your Rachel did." The still slender blonde pointed at the woman sitting in the wheelchair. "You can blame her though. She saved me, and we became fast friends, especially when we found out what that monster did to Victoria. To think that could have been me…" Her voice became quieter and she looked towards the ceiling.

"Yeah, it was… hard. What he did to you, I mean, her, it isn't right. There's no reason she had to die, and… and damn, she didn't deserve it." She wiped a tear from her eye. "Sorry, it's like it happened yesterday."

Rachel moved from the countertop over to the kitchen table, pulled a chair beside the young scientist, and wrapped her arms around her. "It's alright to feel this way, Chloe. And while your Rachel had to die, like all the others we know about, there is a reason. We just haven't figured out exactly what it is."

The blonde leaned her head on the older yet familiar shoulder of her lost friend and reveled in its soothing sensation, heat, scent, even the pulse under her skin; all exactly the same, just more… mature. She gathered her emotions and relaxed. "A reason? You mean, when you all wrote that shit about not being able to change certain events, it's… it's real?"

From across the table the elder Chloe nodded gently. "Mhmm, as far as all the tests we've run, everything points to a cause for our mutual friend's situation. Shit, it's really exciting too, because now that you and our sleeping traveler are with us, we might get even more data."

"You mean, run tests on us?" She leaned away from Rachel and set her elbows on the table to prop up her chin. On her right arm the shirt sleeve hitched up a bit revealing an intricate tattoo.

"You and I are scientists after all. It's a golden opportunity."

"It's not me I'm worried about, but… her. She's just a kid, really, and she's scared to death. You should have seen the look on her face after she pulled me away from that dude. She was terrified, completely out of control! She grabbed my arm and everything around us stopped. Then she turned and looked at me and said… _It's happening again…_ "

"Back to my original question then, do you think we should wake her?"

"That's probably a good idea. I've been thinking about it for the past day and I have some theories about her, and if I'm even close to being right, then she's going to need some food at least."

The younger blonde moved her chair back and stood. "I'll go check on her, and no, I'll try not to scare her." She made her way out of the room and down the small hallway to a closed door at the end. The woman lightly tapped on the entrance. "Hey," she asked quietly, "are you awake?" No answer was forthcoming, so Chloe knocked a little harder. "You still alive in there?" Her voice remained humorous and light. The only response she got was silence. She put her ear to the smooth wood and listened for a moment, trying to figure if the young teen was ok, but, in the end, gripped the knob, turned it, slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her blue eyes went wide as she adjusted to the differences in light and simultaneously scanned the room. "Yo! Anyone home?" The room was empty except for furniture and a lightly rumpled bed where the teen had slept. Chloe stood in the entry way momentarily, then sprinted back to the others. "Uh, guys! I think we have a problem."

The middle-aged scientist and her coworker both looked towards the young student as she came charging into the kitchen. "She's not there!"

The elder Chloe cocked an eyebrow. "I thought that might happen."

Rachel tilted her head and looked at her friend, a surprised look on her face. "What do you mean you thought it would happen? What did you do?"

Like magic, an incredibly innocent expression transformed the scientist's face from her normal _get-shit-done_ face to something more akin to a very young pirate that got caught raiding the treasure chest. "Nothing! You think I would do anything to that poor girl?" The innocence melted away to reveal her true mischievous nature, smirk included. "I just made sure she had what she needed should she have to unexpectedly leave us." A loud pinging alarm sounded from the office, and the smirk grew to a full grin.

"What's that?"

"Relax, Captain. That is a tracking program doing its job to help us navigate these new uncharted seas before us."

The younger student, having caught her breath, furled her brow. "You bugged her?"

"Of course I didn't, that would be a violation of her privacy. But that doesn't mean I can't monitor all the sensors and signals that we've already been tracking, plus a few new ones I set up last night."

The greying blond engineer shook her head. "So, you knew this would happen?"

"No. I _suspected_ it would."

"But it did happen." **  
**

"Yup."

Rachel let out an exasperated, but friendly sigh. "Are you ever wrong?"

The wheelchair-bound woman scrunched her face in mock concentration, pausing for effect more than actually thinking about anything in particular. "Well, there was this one time, hmmm… fifteen years ago? I seem to remember I got the cooking temperature wrong for the pizza. Remember that, Rach?"

"Shit! Why did I even ask?"

The rest of the day, the three women spent the time sifting through a mountain of data trying to learn all they could of their mysterious visitor. While incomplete, theories old and new were carefully modified to account for the variations. It was nearing midnight when the elder Chloe let out a loud yell which made the other two occupants jump a bit. "I think I've got it!"

The younger blonde, who was holding a dry-erase marker up to the whiteboard, eyed the blue scribble that had been accidentally drawn across hours of carefully crafted equations. She looked to the ceiling in exasperation. "Fuuuckk! You can't just surprise us like that, Doc!"

"Sorry! Really I am." The wheelchair turned away from the desk. "Shit! Did I ruin that for you?"

An elegant thumb quickly turned blue as it started smudging away the curved line; being careful to avoid removal of the characters and symbols that made up most of the board's contents. "No, no! Don't mind me. It's fine. I just spent the last three hours of my life working on this for you. Nothing important." The student paused momentarily, then slumped her shoulders. "Damn, that was rude of me. Sorry, boss."

The mentor looked at her new student and smiled. "Don't worry about it. We're all getting tired."

Surrounded by open texts and journals, a cross-legged Rachel stopped jotting notes and looked up at the two of them. "Yeah, I'm beat. But what was that about, Chloe?"

"I believe I know where she came from. I mean, I'm not 100%, but the tracking is pretty clear."

"Where?" Both other women asked at the same time. She had their full attention.

"Another… place. A completely different, well I guess universe is the best description. The telemetry shows a new type of signal. Its heading was… abnormal too."

"How?"

"Well, it seems that it did a course correction, which shouldn't have happened, then it red-shifted past [Gn-z11](https://www.universeguide.com/galaxy/gnz11). All captured in real-time."

The younger Chloe's eyes widened. "Isn't that…?"

The scientist agreed with a nod to the student before continuing. "Yeah, the farthest object in the known universe. And wanna know the kicker? Its delta was 17."

"Holy shit!" Again, both women said it simultaneously.

"Indeed. Over fifty percent further. 20 Billion lightyears, in the space of," she looked back over to the monitor, "ten nanoseconds. But look at this reading."

Both women crowded around the monitor that showed a specific result in emboldened text.

After a few moments of staring at it the young astrophysicist excused herself with a light cough. "Uhm… Doc, isn't that the profile for a quasar?"

"Very good, Chloe. Sure is. We've found, well… more like we were led to, a new one. An honest-to-god hole to another universe."

All three women were silent for a moment that seemed to stretch the concept of time itself.

"This changes everything."

"Yeah, it does. But you and I knew that was a possibility. Didn't we, Rach?"

"So, what do we do now?"

"You said it yourself. We've got a lot of work ahead of us to update The Plan™, and I gave her some instructions if she needs to contact us." The woman then looked over to her younger self. "But, we'll need to get you sorted first."

"M… me?"

"Yeah, we'll need your help to get word to the other captains—the other you's. We need to let them know there's been a change in plans, and that's going to be a pile of work."

"But won't that be weird? You know, having two Chloes in the same time stream?"

"Maybe, but with a little change in your style, you should go unnoticed. Hell, you still look like you're in high school."

"Thanks for taking ten years off me. Heh! That's been part of the problem since day one, getting people to take me seriously because I look so young. Fuck, compared to most of those old dudes, I'm still a baby. "

"You're welcome. But I'm not just flattering you, I have a reason and it's serious."

"W… What do you mean?"

"There's going to be a side effect of her leaving, a big one that's going to happen in just under 24 hours from now. We're going to forget it ever happened."

"Wait… are you saying this whole event is going to dissipate?"

"Kinda. You remember that section on timestream shift, that events will eventually catch up and get into sync? It's how we got the original journal to the First Mate, right? Well, with our guest leaving that takes her influence with it and the effect works in reverse. The events that occurred will be stretched until she leaves the vicinity; some 20 billion lightyears away. Except for you."

"Me? Why?"

"You're not of this timestream, so the impact to you should be minimal, days instead of years. We need you to continue until we sync and remember. I've left instructions on the computer. The password is 10Max&ChloePirates4Ever07."

"How long?"

"Just under twenty-five years."

"A quarter century? Fuuuuuuuck! Are you serious?"

"It can't be helped. Me and Rachel will go on as if nothing ever happened. You'll be the only one that knows, and you'll need to work this new direction without us. When the time is right, we'll sync, and you can catch us up with your findings."

"I'm going to need a new identity, access to the lab as if I owned the place, money, and a place to stay."

"Already taken care of. You'll find passport, birth certificate, and other credentials in the desk drawer." The older blonde looked sincerely at her young self. "I know this is a lot put on your shoulders. But it's for…"

"The Plan™. Yeah, I got it. I'll see you on the other side I guess."

All three women gave each other hugs and goodbyes. A day later, young Chloe Elizabeth Price, 27 years of age, PhD candidate, with blonde hair, and blue eyes ceased to exist. In her place a woman named Kristine Porter emerged. She had red hair and looked no older than her late teens. She left the other two women in the middle of the night so as not to cause a fuss, hailed an Uber, and headed to the nearest rail station. Apparently, an apartment had been set up for her nearer to the university that would be her home for the next many years. She'd received a full packet of instructions and information that would allow her to continue her studies, catch up with her older counterpart's current theories, an absurdly large bank account, and access to a private lab. The light rail pulled up to the station and the red head boarded. Moments later, it headed out and took her closer to her destiny.

* * *

**January 05, 2018 (Z + 10)  
Chloe's place  
Seattle  
Morning**

A dim band of light broke through the bedroom's window blinds and lit up Chloe's face. It was a grey, drizzly day so the beam was insufficient to fully awake the dozing girl, yet it was enough to make her turn over, letting her free arm flop across the other side of the bed. The fact the arm connected with nothing but sheets though was more than sufficient for a single eye to slowly crack open and sleepily look across the empty expanse. _Where's Max?_ The thought travelled the circuits of her brain looking for something to connect with; words like:

_Missing_

_Garlic bread_

_Snorkle_

_Coffee_

_Girlfriend_

Each word brought with it different feelings and emotions, the strongest and most pleasant of those being associated with the latter two respectively, though to be honest she had no idea why _snorkel_ was in the mix; she'd never been diving in her life. _Weird_. Her brain found a small amount of reserve energy, enough to convert what looked a hazy object on the nightstand into a clock-like instrument which told her it what she'd already suspected. It was too-fucking-early-o'clock, otherwise known as 08:20 AM. Who the hell wakes up this early during winter break?

The frizzy haired blonde rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling while she decided if there would be a chance in hell of getting back to sleep and that's when she realized the background hissing she'd been hearing all along was the sound of a shower in progress. _Ah ha! The First Mate be awake and going about her business instead of tending to her Captain. That be a crime on the high seas!_ The playful thought led to mischievous intent as she stretched her whole body, popping and cracking of vertebrae and joints simply awoke her more. With a heave she rolled out of bed, landed lightly on her feet, straightened her rumpled tee, and proceeded quietly out of the room and into the kitchen.

Upon arriving, Chloe turned the sink's tap to cold and let it run while she hunted for the biggest container she could find, eventually locating a 5-quart saucepan in which to pursue her devious plot. She placed the pot under the spout to let it fill, testing the water flowing from the spigot. _Not cold enough._ She fixed that little problem with a handful of ice cubes, then turned off the running water and carefully carried the almost overflowing container quietly into the bedroom.

When she arrived, the shower was still in full force and hot enough that wisps of steam escaped through the cracked open doorway. The slender girl quietly nudged it open further and tip-toed slowing into the foggy room. Warm, moist air surrounded her as she stepped atop the toilet and lifted the saucepan just over the rim of the shower curtain.

"Mutiny!!!!" She dumped the entire contents into the shower, instantly changing what had been a hella hot stream into a waterfall colder than the North Seas.

The unsuspecting girl let out a piercing shriek. "Oh holy shit, Chloe!!!!!"

Almost slipping off her perch due to condensation, the mischief maker burst into laughter, hopped down, and ran from the steam-filled room as the shower was abruptly turned off. Behind her, she heard the curtain get violently shoved aside, so she quickly set the pot down, dove into the bed and wrapped herself in covers, blankets, and pillows and peered through a small hole towards the bathroom from whence she had retreated.

"Y… y… you are so going to get yours!" A shocked and extremely cold Max stood dripping in the doorway wrapped only in a large towel. Her brunette hair was plastered to her head and even with only backlighting from the bathroom, Chloe could see goosebumps all across the short girl's shoulders.

"Morning, Max." Her voice was muffled, and she saw her First Mate's blue eyes narrow.

"What the actual fuck, C… C… Chlo?"

The pirate Captain widened the hole and poked her whole head through the blankets. "You, well… you weren't around when I woke up… I… you know… I needed my cuddle fix."

"Wait… you wanted cuddles? And that's the best way to tell me? I… I'm f… f… fucking freezing!"

The huddled woman lifted the bedcovers invitingly. "I can fix that." She patted the bed space next to her.

Max rolled her eyes in exasperation and sighed as she approached the bed, laid down, and was enveloped in Chloe-warmed blankets. She scooched her shivering body as close to her girlfriend as possible and let body heat calm her chills. Strong, slender arms wrapped around and held her tight, a chin rested itself atop her still damp head.

"This better, Super Max?"

Heat continued to transfer, and the brunette reveled in both it's comforting sensation as well as the closeness of their two bodies. "Yes, better. This is… nice." She wriggled her backside a bit in an attempt to get even closer. "But did you really have to do that? I was gonna come back afterwards, just wanted to get a jumpstart on the day."

"Did I go too far?"

"No, it just surprised me." The now comfortably warm girl carefully turned over to face her girlfriend. After a quick kiss on the tip of her nose, Max leaned forward until their foreheads touched and gazed into the soul-catching beauty of blue eyes.

"Hey." She gave the blonde a peck on the lips.

"Hi." Chloe returned the affection herself.

Both women let silence speak volumes while they relaxed in the other's presence, and warmth from the two bodies co-mingled as if from a single person. To each, the room, its surroundings, the tick of the clock, and even the quiet spatter of rain hitting the windows melted into the background. All they could see, their whole world was right in front of them, not a hair's width away. They dived into the cobalt seas that were the other's eyes, seeking the treasure they each knew was fathoms below. Farther and farther the two navigated the depths of each other's soul, arriving at that special place where the other's essence awaited their complement. Like pieces of a puzzle each completed the other and the best friends shared the most intimate closeness they'd ever known. Time stopped and allowed the girls as much as they needed, and while it could have been only moments, to the perfectly matched pair it was a thousand lifetimes all to themselves.

Ever so slowly time resumed its forward march, and each girl traveled along the path the other had taken to arrive at that special place, until both reached the blue tinted windows that peered at themselves across a chasm. From across the way each saw the other framed in sapphire, and then as one took the leap of faith to return to their proper vessels. Moments passed as the room faded back into their reality.

"What was that?" They both asked the other at the same time.

"Us." They both responded at the same time.

Max sighed deeply and let moments pass listening to the second hand tick its way around the clock. "Can we just stay like this all day?"

"Maximus, there's nothing I'd want more, but we have to get to the lab sometime today." Chloe rolled onto her back and drew her girlfriend's head onto her shoulder. "Some of the data could be time critical, it's just how it works. Ironic, yeah?"

"Mmm hmmm. Why don't you go shower then while I get coffee going?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Neither girl moved a millimeter.

"I'm getting up now, Maxi."

"Me too."

The clock continued its ticking while the two remained hopelessly stuck in bed.

"See me getting up?"

"It must be a huge effort, Chlo."

"The hugest. Here I go. Ready, dork?"

"The readiest. I'm right with you."

No one budged.

Chloe let out a sigh while staring at the ceiling. "This is really hard."

A still damp-haired head nodded slightly but otherwise did not raise itself from its current position. "The hardest."

"But we really should get outta bed."

"Yup."

"Because we have work to do."

"Important work." The brunette agreed and lightly kissed her girlfriend's pale shoulder.

Silence ruled supreme once again, punctuated only by the two girl's regular breathing and the ticking timepiece.

"I need coffee, Captain."

"Me too, seriously strong coffee."

"We should get up then."

The blonde breathed deeply of the shorter girl's clean hair, enjoying its scent. "Together?"

"Forever, Chlo. Always. On the count of three?"

"Yeah, ready? One."

"Two."

"Three." Both girls said the final count simultaneously yet failed to move even the smallest bit. They both started giggling uncontrollably.

"We're such dorks, Maxi."

"That we are, babe. That we are."

It took another hour before either woman extracted themselves from the other.

* * *

The sound and scent of fresh-ground coffee brewing in the machine welcomed Chloe as she finally exited the bedroom. Now showered and dressed for the day in her typical school wear consisting of khaki cargo pants, a dark blue button-down shirt, and wildly colorful, if unmatched, socks, the tall blonde quietly padded into the galley kitchen and wrapped her arms around Max once again.

"Morning, again cutie."

The brunette dressed herself in simple jeans, a plain lavender tee, another pair of equally colorful, and yet also unmatched socks, set the knife down calmly and turned to her partner.

"Morning to you too." She looked her companion up and down. "Damn, Chlo, you look so… mmmm… academic, so studenty."

"I gotta play the part, yeah? But I'm still hot as shit, right?"

"Hotter." She gave the blonde a quick kiss. "Uhm.. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed a pair of socks. I forgot to bring my own."

Chloe looked down at two pairs of colorful feet, each wore the other's complimenting pair and giggled lightly. "You can borrow anything you want, Maxi." She returned the kiss with one of her own and then released her best friend so she could continue prepping.

"I've got breakfast almost ready. Grab us some coffee, please?" The younger girl resumed slicing fruit and just finished as the toaster oven pinged.

"Roger that, First Mate."

Moments later, two sets of Eggos®, sliced apples and strawberries, and a pair of steaming hot mugs of coffee were set along the opposite side of the countertop and the girls went around and seated themselves upon the bar stools.

"I couldn't find any bacon, which surprised me, so I made fruit instead."

"That's probably for the best, matey. I ate all the bacon the day I bought it."

"I suspected as much. When have you ever not had an ounce of self-control when it comes to bacon?"

"Hey, don't blame me, dork. I seem to remember you can't resist the stuff either."

"Only if I got to it first!" Max leaned over and gently nudged her greedy and bacon-addicted beauty enough to make her stool tip slightly. "I was more than likely to draw back a bloody stump where my hand had been. No… you can't deny it."

With great exaggerated drama, the blonde brought the back of her hand to her forehead in mock humiliation. "Oh, you wound me! To think, my… beloved girlfriend… believes I won't share bacon, the greatest invention ever, with my perfect partner. Woe! How shall I ever earn your trust again? Woe, I say!" The angsty girl gave her accuser her best puppy-dog eyes and pouty lips.

The act was convincing enough that the brunette paused for a second, lost in her partner's expression. Then it clicked in her mind and she shook her head to clear it. "Oh my dog! You are such a brat! Rachel taught you how to do that, didn't she?" The brunette couldn’t help but start giggling.

"She did a pretty good job, yeah?" Both girls couldn't help but bust up laughing hard enough to make tears run down their faces. Catching her breath, the younger girl snorted which caused even more hilarity between the two as they rocked back and forth on their stools.

Eventually, the women settled down enough to finish their breakfast and then they each went about cleaning up and getting ready to visit the lab at the University of Washington. Max, of course didn't have much to bring, though her pack contained a small digital camera and a couple of granola bars in case she got the munchies. On the other hand, her slender girlfriend had almost too much to fit in hers. Laptop, a rat's nest of cables, a weird looking box with a bunch of… what were those… adapters and screw fittings? Notebooks, a calculator, and the journal completed Chloe's burden to the point that her pack was almost bursting.

"How is it that you don't have back problems?" The brunette looked on as the scientist slung a single strap over a shoulder. "That must weigh a ton."

"Not gonna lie, it's pretty heavy. But it takes more than this to take down Captain Bluebeard. Arrrrr!!" The blonde struck a dramatic pose of a pirate raising a saber towards the enemy ship.

"You. Are. Such. A. Nerd."

"Your kinda nerd, right?"

"You have no idea how right you are."

"Come on, let's blow this place."

* * *

It was a dull day in the Seattle area, a day where the grey clouds were featureless blankets covering the sky, giving it a two-dimensional quality. Earlier light rain had given away to a heavy mist which hung in the breezeless air reducing visibility so much so that the region's taller buildings' topmost floors became hidden in its thick fog. The hidden sun's light was spread so evenly that no shadows formed, and the surrounding sounds of the city from traffic, construction, and daily life were muted by the water-burdened air.

The two partners casually walked their way Northbound towards the Capital Hill light rail station holding hands. As usual, the weekday crowd of tech bros flowed down the slopes towards Amazon's campus and the rest of the lesser companies that made up the software hub. The river of engineers seemed to hurry just a little faster today, probably due to the bleak weather; most of them were not Seattle natives and perhaps didn't understand that they wouldn't dissolve should they get damp. The weather didn't phase either of the woman as they weaved their way through the occasional crowd, never once releasing the other. They didn't speak much, as oft happens with best friends, but instead just enjoyed the other's company during their current adventure.

Eventually they made their way down into the depths of the new rail system, swiped their transit cards on the inconveniently placed readers, stood patiently and slightly behind the yellow line that marked the edge of the platform. Down here, in the clean tunnel, there were not many students heading towards the university; it was holiday break after all. Their side of the station was almost empty, a stark contrast to the southbound one which was filled, yet again, with dozens of better dressed tech professionals heading to more distant companies of the region, like Microsoft and Boeing. The sounds of the approaching train alerted them that it wouldn't be long and both girls took a reflexive step backwards from the edge.

"You know, this place always reminds me of the train tracks back home."

The shorter of the two smiled at the fond memory and squeezed her girlfriend's hand gently and leaned the side of her body against the other. "Those were simpler times, more fun. I remember, Chlo, like it was yesterday."

The two remained silent in each other's presence. Down the tunnel a faint orange glow started to form. The train would be here shortly.

"When did we grow up, Maxi?"

"Whoa, deep thoughts much?" The brunette shrugged. "But to answer your question, I really don't know."

The train pulled into the station, smoothly decelerated until it came to a complete stop and the doors slid open automatically. The friends waited momentarily, as a courtesy for any passengers to disembark and then boarded onto a mostly empty vehicle. They turned left and made their way to the back most seats farthest from the other passengers and sat down, Chloe on the inside next to the window, the other on the aisle. The shorter girl leaned in once again to her taller companion, closed her eyes, and rested herself contently until the blonde leaned away temporarily. The sound of a heavy exhale followed by a quiet squeaky sound made Max re-open her eyes out of curiosity. She looked over towards her girlfriend to see she'd fogged up the window with her breath and had drawn in the condensation.

The taller girl drew a heart around her masterpiece.

"Guess you're not as grown up as you thought, Chloe." The brunette smiled and fished into her backpack for her small digital camera. "Lean back a bit. I want to get a picture before it disappears". She positioned the image just right, turned off the flash to avoid reflection from the glass, shifted just a little bit to get a partial profile of her love in the frame, and pressed the shutter button. An electronic click sounded, and the scene was captured for all time; perfect as usual.

"Glad you're here Max. Shit, that's goopy as hell, but I missed hanging with my best friend." She settled back into a normal seating position, held up her right arm and like magic an adorable freckled First Mate scooched over and leaned against her side. The slender arm went around the back of the brunette's shoulders and held her tight.

"Then why didn't you hang with AutoMe? That's one thing about The Plan™ I never understood. I mean, I know what it said since I've written it so many times I can practically recite it, but I don't know why that part was needed."

"I donno, Maxi. I have a couple of theories, but remember, until the real you showed up, I didn't even know about AutoMax. It makes a bit more sense now, given what you've told me, especially about," she paused and made sure no one was listening in, "your time travel abilities."

"How so?"

"You really want to hear about it? I'll probably start scribbling equations, so fair warning."

"My Chloe, the nerdy scientist." Max sighed with contentment. "Heh! Never thought I'd ever say those exact words in the same sentence."

"Whaaaat? I've always loved math and science. Or have you forgotten that I used to help you with your homework?" A blonde head tipped sideways and rested on the brown-haired girl's own as they talked.

"I know you have, but I always wondered what kind of changes would happen if I hadn't moved to Seattle in the first place." The younger girl reached her hand up and connected with her girlfriend's hand that was gripping her shoulder. She squeezed it gently. "I guess I finally get to find out."

"Not quite, babe. You still moved in my time stream. But you gave me the kick in the ass I needed."

"True, I guess. But then again, you always did need a good whoopin' once in a while."

"Jeeze, Max. When you say it like that you make me sound like a total loser."

"With a capital L, dork." She squeezed her partner's hand lovingly to reassure the blonde that she was really just kidding around.

The blonde lifted her head and looked at her girlfriend's profile pleadingly. "Maaaaaaaaax! Not a loser." She stuck out her bottom lip and set the most excruciatingly pouty expression upon her face. She tried to pull her arm away from around Max's back, but the other refused to let go.

The brunette looked straight ahead for a while, ignoring the feigned indignation of her Captain and purposely refusing to look into what she knew would be overly wide liquid blue pools of her eyes. The younger of the two reveled in the small victory; they were so rare.

The taller girl whined more. "Maaaaaaaaax! Tell me I'm not a loser. Pweeeeaaaasseee!"

 _Boy, she's really hamming it up, but oh my Dog, she is so beautiful when she gets this way!_ The brunette silently laughed, then quickly turned her head, leaned forward, and expertly kissed Chloe directly on the tip of her nose. She pulled back and watched the blonde's expression slowly change. "Better, Chlo?"

The taller girl sighed and scooped up her shorter companion, using both arms now. "Much. Thanks, dude."

They both stayed this way while the train continued its journey through the tunnels of Seattle, gently causing the two to sway back and forth with the motion. Eventually, after several minutes of silence, a quiet announcement was played informing them that their stop was next.

< _University Station_ >

"That's us, Super Max."

The pair stood as one, grabbed each other's hands, and moved to the exit doors. Together, they waited for the train to come to a complete stop. Outside the window, the environment quickly became brighter as the train entered the cavernous station. The doors opened automatically, and the two ladies stepped onto the platform and headed for the escalator, beeping their train passes on the reader as they went. After a very long escalator ride from the pit that was the station's footing, the girls exited out into the dampness that was the typical weather of Seattle. The University of Washington, ' _The U'_ as it was called locally, sprawled all around them as they awaited the walk signal to cross the street. Heavy fog that had rolled in from Lake Washington complimented the drizzle and covered the top half of Husky Stadium and the rest of the taller buildings that made up the campus. From their point of view, it looked like half the sky was simply missing in the even and light-diffusing haze, yet below the cloud deck, visibility was still good enough to see across the lake to the Eastside.

"How far is it to the lab?"

"About a 10-minute walk right now. Usually when school is in session I have to give myself about thirty minutes, just because of the crowds. But, because it's my lab, I can usually show up late and no one can say anything about it."

"Your lab?"

"Abso-fucking-lootly. My place, my lab, my home port." The blonde got an evil grin on her face. "Muahahaha! It be hella awesome. The things I can do when someone gives me a blank check."

"Damn, Chlo. Do we have to worry about you wiping out the universe?" The brunette shifted over as they resumed walking and skillfully shoulder checked her partner who then drifted away from her like a pool ball being struck by the cue. They remained connected only by their hands and their arms stretched casually, became taught and then each rebounded into each other. Max drew her hand behind her back, inviting the taller girl to encircle her waist, which she did without hesitation. They headed West through main campus towards the research wing at the University Medical Center.

"Why are we headed to the med-center?"  
"It's one of the best facilities to deal with containment. Heck, most of the physics and chemistry labs are located in the underground levels too because of how the building was built, isolated from vibrations, having the ability to keep accidents from happening, and all that shit. Mine is on the lowest, sub-level five. It's like my very own Bat Cave."

"Does that make me… Bat Max?"

"I was thinking more The Amazing Spider Max. I even have some radioactive isotopes in storage. Wanna go for superpowers, I mean, more than you already have? Think about it, time travel and the ability to climb walls, that would fucking rock!"

"Nerd." With her free hand, the shorter girl poked her girlfriend's ribs which elicited a giggle and a similar response.

"Geek." The blonde poked back.

"Dork." Poke.

"Pirate." Poke poke.

"Mine." Hand squeeze.

"Yup, Maxi. Yours." Big side-hug.

The girls approached, and then entered a modern concrete and steel building through thick glass doors that towered two stories tall. The portal led to the equally vast reception area that spread out before them. The room was immaculately clean and its highly polished marble floor contrasted beautifully with the smooth, dark granite encased walls. Along the wall, opposite the doorway, stood a natural wood and glass desk big enough to land aircraft upon. Behind the workspace, on the wall, was a directory of all the offices and occupants of the building all neatly sorted and labeled alphabetically by last name and including the floor and office number. Max automatically looked half-way down the list, searching for 'Price' but failed to find it.

Puzzled, the brunette squeezed her girlfriend's hand and then pointed to the wall. "Why aren't you listed?"

"I am. Look harder… First Mate. See?" A long slender arm pointed high up on the wall.

It dawned on the shorter girl what Chloe's hint meant. _First Mate huh? Hmmm let me see_. She scrutinized the wall of names again and landed on B.

Bluebeard, Cpt. MS, Physics. Office X5-913 ' _The Pirate's Cove_ '

"Of course, you did. _The Pirate's Cove_? Really?"

"Naturally. Gotta have fun while doing this shit, right? And I know someone in facilities that owed me a favor. So… I got my very own lair."

"Cocky. Love it so much."

"There's a lot to love, Love. Come on, we gotta check in at the desk."

The two companions approached the behemoth to be greeted by a well built, early-thirties man standing behind with close cropped dark brown hair, green eyes that looked like they saw everything at face value, and a friendly smile that engendered trust for those he'd call friends. He was dressed in a uniform that screamed security: black t-shirt under a neatly pressed, olive-green shirt with pockets on both sides, and various insignia along the collar and sleeve, black trousers made of a heavy, durable material, and black lace-up boots completed the _rent-a-cop_ ensemble. A patch on his arm, the secured sidearm on his hip, and a prominent seven-pointed badge on his chest, however, told a different story: King County Sheriff. He was the real deal, not an imitation pork product; it made sense given all the equipment alone that could be stolen. The name embroidered above the right breast pocket read 'D. Gray.'

The deputy turned his attention from his monitor and slid the keyboard he'd been using back into its slot on the standing workstation. "Morning Chl… er… I mean, morning Captain Bluebeard."

Chloe smirked and simultaneously fist-bumped the man before turning her attention to her partner-in-time. "See, Maximus? The Cap'n has minions." Then she turned back to face the officer. "Morning, Dan. 'Sup?"

"Hey, Price! What brings you here during break?" He nodded towards the shorter girl politely. "Breaking in a new undergrad?"

"What? Oh. No, nothing like that." The taller girl squeezed Max's shoulders. "Dan, this is Max. She's my best friend and so much more." She punctuated her statement with a casual wink to the officer and another, and more obvious squeeze for her partner-in-crime.

"Holy shit! Chloe Price has a girlfriend? That's fantastic, and about goddamned time! Good for you…" The dark-haired man looked to the shorter girl who was beaming with delight and reached his hand across the desk and shook her hand politely. "Pleased to meet you, Max, welcome aboard! Guess you're gonna be part of The Crew™ then?"

The brunette giggled. _Is everyone here pirate crazy?_ "I'm First Mate actually."

"No kidding? Well, I'm Dan, head of security for this research center." He chuckled a bit and jerked a thumb towards the blonde. "Chloe here has a way making our work just a little more fun, pirate style, like when I was a kid. I suspect you've noticed the Captain's name on the board?"

"I did, and yeah, Chlo has a way with people for sure." She thought for a moment. "So, you all are just a bunch of dorks like her?"

The blonde straightened up proudly. "If you can't have a good time while doing your job, why do it, right?" She gave the deputy another fist bump.

"You got that right, and it don't do no harm anyway. Hell, even the boss back at HQ loved the idea. Anyway, Max how long are you going to be with us?"

Again, the shorter girl beamed her pleasure at the thought of partnering with her girlfriend and her typical response was as natural as the two of them were together. "Forever, of course!" She leaned her head against the other girl's shoulder. "Always forever."

"Aww, you guys are so cute." He reached to a stack of papers, picked up a copy, grabbed a pen and quickly added a series of X's in sections the brunette would need to read and sign, he carefully filled out a couple of the blanks and then pushed it across the desk towards Max. "Sorry, but we gotta do the paperwork part. I need you to fill out the sections I highlighted, and I need to see your ID please."

"Sure," she looked at Chloe with a questioning look on her face, "uhm, Chlo? What is this about?"

"Dude, it's totally fucking awesome! I've got, like security clearance here… well, at least down to sublevel five. But they don't just let anyone in here; ya' gotta have someone vouch for you."

"Would you vouch for me?" The brunette put on her most innocent, pouty face, and widened her eyes and she looked shyly, but hopefully at her girlfriend; the look was guaranteed to break hearts of people that didn't know it was all just part of the games they played.

"Hmmm. I don't know…" Chloe let her voice trail off with a skeptical look on her face, only for her to moments later crack her signature smirk for both to see. With a twinkle in her mischievous eyes, she gave her partner a strong squeeze and lifted her off the floor. "Are you kidding? You are meant to be here! Of course, I vouch for my First Mate." She looked at the form. "See? Even the boss here," she pointed at Dan who just smiled politely, "thinks you belong. He even filled out your title and everything!"

Max looked at the pre-filled out portion of the form and indeed _'First Mate'_ was placed in the space marked _'Title.'_ She filled out the indicated sections and handed it back to the officer.

"Ok, Max. Please step over there and stand on the blue line." Dan pointed to a location on the floor that had blue tape.

"Uhm… what's this for?" As she asked, the brunette reluctantly released her hold on Chloe and positioned herself behind the marking. Then it dawned on her as she looked back to the desk and noticed a small webcam pointing her direction. Her photographer's mind kicked in and realized she'd be getting her picture taken. A bright light flashed.

The deputy slid her driver's license and a lanyard connected to an access badge across the desk. "You're all done, Max. I've got your badge coded to allow you access to the lab, elevator, lounge, and restroom. If you need other access, you'll need to find me."

The shorter girl walked back and rejoined her Captain and retrieved her ID and badge. "You need access for the bathroom?"

"Sure do. You never know what kinds of conversations folks will have while they're doing their business, so we can't just have anyone in there. You know, like having a conversation at the watercooler, same thing."

"Ew."

Dan chuckled lightly. "Yeah, it is, but thems the rules. Oh, and another thing, the moment you get into the elevator you'll notice your cellphone will lose reception. That's not a bug, but a feature. The building has Wi-Fi throughout, and VOIP will work, however I'll remind you that what you just signed is a nondisclosure agreement. Please don't share or talk about what you see or do."

"You done, dude?" Chloe had her hands on her hips, and a friendly, yet slightly impatient expression on her face.

"Yeah, I'm done. Just doing the job they pay me for. But remember, I know how much of a troublemaker you are." A broad, good natured smile crossed his face and his bright green eyes twinkled with knowledge of a past event that had earned him Captain Bluebeard's respect.

"Fuck, Dan! That was one time, honest! Are you ever gonna let this go?"

"Would you?"

The slender girl slumped her shoulders, looked to the ceiling that loomed three stories above, and sighed heavily. "Noooooo. Damn it. Okay, you win."

Max looked between the two and then rounded on her partner. "What did you do?"

"Tell you later, Maximus. Come on, let's get downstairs." The blonde held out her hand and it was immediately filled with its perfectly sized compliment of her girlfriend's own hand.

"Nice to meet you, Dan. Don't worry, I'll make sure the Captain behaves." She gave the deputy a quick wave as the two started their way past the desk and to the elevators.

"Same to you Max, and I have no doubt you will. Take care ladies." The deputy watched them walk off and then turned back to the work he'd been doing.

* * *

The two girls stood while the elevator took them down what felt like an absurd number of levels; the quietness of the mechanism gave Max the impression that they weren't moving at all. In fact, the only motion she could detect was the slight jerking on her hand as her blonde girlfriend bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"You are so gonna love this place." 

_ She's always ready to show off. _ The freckled girl nodded, which only encouraged her partner further. It was obvious that the slender scientist couldn't wait to make a huge fuss and tour Max all around. And she herself was incredibly impressed by everything she'd learned about Chloe's accomplishments, and her lab would get a good looking through due to her automatic nature to peek and poke everything in the general vicinity.

"I can't wait, Chlo. But look at you, you're like a kid in candy shop, or a girl on her twenty first birthday in her first pot store legally."

"Oh! That would totally rock right now. You and me and some weed… wait... " The blonde gave her love a curious look. "What does Max Caulfield know about weed? You been holding out on me?"

"Yeah, there were times that… it helped." The brunette shook her head vigorously. "But that's not now. I'm so much better now that I'm with you, and I'm excited to see what my beautiful science-dork is gonna show me."

The elevator came to a smooth stop, paused for a few moments, and then parted its doors.

"Check it out, dude." Chloe stood before the opening doors with both of her arms out in front of her presenting their new environs but looking back at her companion expectantly.

Beyond the small box that brought them down, the two girls were met with a short and featureless hallway, its smooth polished concrete floor reflected LED lighting embedded at the creases made where the plain walls met the even more plain ceiling. At the end of the corridor stood a deep blue metal door with a cardkey reader positioned next to it and bold black lettered graffiti written on its otherwise simple surface.

Max looked the hallway up and down its unimpressive length and then looked at her girlfriend, smiled sweetly, and rolled her eyes in mock boredom. "Oh, my. This is impressive, babe. I am sooooo proud of what you've done here. Your very own..." She cocked a single eyebrow and then nudged her shoulder into Chloe's side. "…hallway."

Like a balloon deflating, the long, slender arms dropped to her sides just about as quickly as her jaw hit the floor. Turning around fully to face the unimpressed girl, she slowly walked backwards, allowing her First Mate to exit the elevator. "Maaaaax! This place is totally… I mean…" She stopped halfway to the metal door before trying again. "Okay, yeah it's a concrete hallway. But dude, don't you get it? This is my lab."

Max patiently surveyed the corridor again. "Mmm hmmm, all 12 feet of it? I'm sure it's lovely." She approached the dejected Captain and wrapped her arms around her waist and laid the side of her head on the scientist’s shoulder. "You know I don’t mean it, Chlo. Right?"

"Way to burst my bubble, babe."

"But look at it from my perspective. I didn’t know what to expect and you seemed really excited. Then the elevator opens up aaaaaannnddd… empty hallway." She nuzzled into Chloe's blonde hair and tightened her grip with a light squeeze. "Oh, and I see you help but fix the door with your own artistic touch."

The taller girl straightened up as she wrapped her arms around the love of her life, and together they approached the door. "Hell yeah, Maximus. Come on, I'll show you the real lab." She fished out her lanyard from under her jacket and swiped the reader. A loud click sounded in the door frame, and she released Max and opened the door. Max followed her, but Chloe turned in the door frame and held up her hand.

"Dude, one swipe, one entry! Ya' gotta badge in." She grinned with a little bit of her own get-you-back attitude.

"You're kidding me! You know who I am."

Blonde hair swished around as the taller girl shook her head. "Nope. Nada. Never met you. I have no idea who you are. You could be an industrial spy."

Max rolled her eyes. "Really? Me? An industrial spy? You are crazy, Chlo."

"Uh huh, insane in the brain, sweetie." She pointed at the reader again. "Hit it with your M.B., cutie, and I'll show you around."  
"M.B.?"

"Maxie Badgie, duh."

The brunette laughed at her partner's ability to create a nickname for any and all things. She swiped her shiny new badge and then together they walked into the darkened room.

"Behold!" The lights clicked on.

The room spread out before the two. There were tables with computer monitors, and a multitude of equipment, some of which Max could identify, while others, she had no idea their function. One entire wall was floor to ceiling shelving with pull out containers filled with parts which were all neatly categorized and labeled. Another side was wall o' books, a veritable library of its own, complete with sliding ladder. Racked computers occupied a third part of the perimeter, their lights blinking seemingly randomly as some sort of processing was going on. Off to the side of the data center stood a vault-like cabinet with the universal radiation symbol and more graffitied letters.

Near one end of the rectangular room stood a curved desk with a comfortable looking, deep blue chair, facing the wall. Upon the desk was a keyboard and mouse, and a single framed picture of a pair of nerds in pirate gear. The wall itself was nothing but flat screens, all put together into an immense array. Currently it was showing what looked like a simulated star-scape and a set of blinking red text.

ONE (1) NEW MESSAGE  
URGENT

Chloe set her bag down next to the desk and sat down while Max stood next to her.

"Huh, I didn't expect any messages. Wonder what that could be about." She pressed the space bar on the keyboard, proceeded to type an astonishingly long password, pulled out her phone to verify her identity, and finally swiped her badge on the card reader that was attached to the desk.

The screen blanked for a moment before coalescing into a desktop on the wall that was covered in icons. With practiced motions, the scientist brought up her messages and opened the only one that was unread; highlighted in deep red. The words were simple but brought a chill to both girls.

CHECK YOUR RESULTS, CAPTAIN. THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN PLANS…


	11. Adjust Heading to One Eight Zero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folk! Welcome to another chapter in the ongoing saga! I really appreciate all the comments you all have given; it makes my day brighter to see folks engage with the story. As usual, if you have any questions or comments do not hesitate. Also shoutouts to [Aspect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11), [ClarX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx), and [BlackAdder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackadder261/pseuds/Blackadder261) for the beta help, I couldn't do it without your great feedback. Stay tuned, more chapters are in the pipe!

**January 05, 2018 (Z + 10)  
** **Late morning**  
 **Seattle**

…THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE OF PLANS.

Both girls stared at the message presented on the huge screen, occasionally looking back at each other, before gaping once again at the letters. This was completely unexpected and the pair a couple of minutes to reboot their brains.

"A change of plans…" Chloe slowly let out a breath as she tried to digest the letters meaning. She stood up, hands flatly on her desk, and leaned closer to the display as if getting nearer to the wall-sized monitors would reveal a hidden treasure that stubbornly refused to be found.

Max leaned into her girlfriend and placed an arm around her waist. "What does it mean?"

"Other than the obvious, sweetie?" The taller girl tilted her head to rest on the brunette's and slid her arm around her partner's back in return.

"Well, yeah. Other than that?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out. Apparently, it has something to do with the experiment I ran a couple of days ago in Arcadia Bay and the data it collected." She paused for a moment. "Feels like that was years ago."

"A lot has happened since then, Chlo. What do you want to do?"

"Hand me my backpack. Might as well see what's on it."

Max reached down and grabbed the bag, placing it on the desk. The long, slender arm slid away from its usual position around the shorter girl, taking its comfortable warmth with it. The scientist unzipped and removed her laptop and the odd-looking, boxy device Max had seen back at the apartment, then dived back into the pack to pull out a tangle of cables.

The brunette giggled as her Captain struggled to untie the impossibly knotted rats-nest of wires. "You really should coil them up nicely."

"Duh, I did, dork." The blonde was quickly getting wrapped up as she tried futilely to override basic thermodynamics and bring order to chaos.

Max giggled louder and nudged the now seated woman, making her wheeled chair roll slightly from the desk. A loose wire snagged under one caster and brought the whole contraption to a halt. The younger girl's laughter magnified as she looked on at the fly that was her girlfriend trapped hopelessly in the web of cables.

With a final pull, the entrapped blonde slumped in her chair and gave up. A loose end hanged from her head and lightly bounced on the tip of her nose. "A little help, Maxi?"

By this time, the First Mate was rolling on the floor in a bout of uncontrollable laughter. " HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" She took a deep breath, looked up at her partner, and continued. "Oh my Dog! Chloe! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" The hysterical girl tried valiantly to get herself under control and failed miserably. " HA! HA! HA! HA! My smart… HA! HA! Sciency… HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Nerdy… girlfriend. Hang on…" She rolled onto her hands and knees and stood up and reached into her pocket where she produced a small digital camera. The photographer didn't even bother trying to make it perfect; nothing could make the scene any better.

_ >click< _

_ >click<_

She moved around and then held down the shutter button, giggling the entire time.

 _ >click<_ _ >click<_ _ >click<_ _ >click<_ _ >click<_ _ >click<_ _ >click<_ _ >click<_

"MAAAAAX!!!!!?"

"Okay, okay." The younger girl put the camera away and gave her snared companion a classic Chloe smirk. "H… hang on a sec… Oh wait!!! You are already!!!!! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

"Pleeeeeeeassse! Help me. Come on, First Mate, give your Captain a hand?"

"I donno, you seem to have gotten yourself into this. How can you be so meticulously neat," she gestured to the room around them, and then started extracting a certain person from the wild mess of cables, "and yet at the same time so… you? This brings back so many memories…" Max paused suddenly as she thought more about the last time she and Chloe had been in a situation like this, cleaning the older girl's room. That day. "… Oh…" She continued more quietly removing strands of random wires.

"Maxi? You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah… I guess. I just remembered the last time we cleaned your room. The day your… Dad..."

Finally free of the web, the blonde walked her chair closer to Max, wrapped both arms around her, and tugged until her freckled partner ended up seated on the taller girl's lap. "Hey… don't get like that. It was a long time ago." She kissed the back of her partner's head and then leaned over and rested her chin on the younger girl's shoulder. "I've come to terms with it."

Calming down in the comforting embrace, Max leaned back. "I tried to fix it… and I couldn't."

"Yeah, you said. Don't worry about it, it had to happen."

"But did it really, Chlo?"

"It did, that's what The Plan™ says too. In fact, all of my research and education also say the same thing. It can't be changed. That's what I was doing in The Bay™ this week."

"What was it, specifically, you were trying to do?"

The taller girl chuckled at the question. "I was measuring timestream drift and testing a hypothesis about changing small things without impacting causality." She started to get excited once again. "You want to see the math? I can show you the _Fucking Math_. It's awful."

A shocked expression overtook the freckled face of the shorter girl. "What? Math? Eww…" She turned her head and leaned back so she could see the blue eyes of her girlfriend. "Please no, and... uhm, babe… you mind speaking English? Timestream drift? Causality? Pretend, just for a second, that I'm not a supercomputer, or ultra-nerd, like my girlfriend." Max gave her a quick kiss on the nose. "I'm a photographer, not a dork."

"You're already a Maximum-Dork, cutie. Now, about the math…" She stared back into the complimentary set of cobalt eyes, grinned, got an eye roll in return, and then set her girlfriend back on her feet. "Okay, okay. Come on, let's find out what this all means."

After a couple of moments to finish separating cables and attaching them to the box, then into a number of ports on a bench beside the desk, Chloe opened her laptop and began typing. A window opened on the massive wall of displays in front of them and a numbers started scrolling quickly.

The blonde turned to Max. "Hey, while I babysit this," she continued typing without looking at the screen or keyboard, "there's a package in that cabinet over there marked ' _control'_. Can you grab it? It's in a silver, anti-static bag, you can't miss it."

"Sure thing, Cap." The brunette walked over to the cabinet as Chloe turned her focus back to the computer.

The cabinet was a floor-to-ceiling metal storage unit with thick glass doors. A heavy-gauge cable ran into the base of the unit and snaked off behind other shelves and benches. Inside, beyond the glass, she could see a number of shelves, a digital clock, and several devices and containers. A second display showing a seemingly random number >\+ 17:22< sat next to the clock. When she looked closely at the blue transparent glass, Max noticed what looked like parallel, thin gold wires embedded deeply within. It seemed the more she stared, the less defined the circuitry became, as if they were vibrating at an impossible rate to the point they disappeared altogether. It confused her, and the brunette squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and shook her head. When she reopened them, the wiring could be seen again, but they quickly faded out once more. It was like something about the cabinet wasn't quite in sync with… reality, and it was extremely difficult for her brain to figure out. After another quick shake of her head, Max regained her focus, looked elsewhere to avoid having her mind scrambled, then realized there was seemingly no way to get into the cabinet.

"Uh… Chlo?"

"Think fast, Maxi."

Max turned just in time to see the seated scientist one-handedly flip something over her shoulder, all without taking her attention from the keyboard or the wall screen. A small rectangle of plastic sliced through the air like a Frisbee® on its edge. Surprise caused the brunette to freeze like a deer in headlights. The cardkey smacked lightly into her chest and then fell harmlessly to the floor. Max stared at it for a moment, stunned.

"You gotta be faster, timelord."

The brunette looked up from the smooth polished concrete where the projectile lay to see her girlfriend had turned to look at her experiment's results firsthand. Her narrow, beautiful face conveyed a playful and competitive smirk and was accented with a single raised eyebrow that only Mr. Spock could have replicated better. There was a twinkle in the blonde's eyes that showed she expected a response from her First Mate; like she was saying ' _Your move, babe._ '

 _Two can play this game._ The brunette raised her hand in concentration and carefully rewound time enough so that the cardkey just left the scientist's long fingers, and then kept the scene frozen for a moment before slowly letting the flow move forward. She purposely kept the stream progressing at a reduced rate to give her the luxury of reacting correctly to the incoming object. Just as the cardkey was in reach, the time traveler plucked it out of the air and released time from its bindings. A perfect catch.

"Nice catch, Maxi." The scientist was again swiveled away from the screen watching her partner-in-time, but this time with a wide smile on her face.

"I cheated."

"I know you did."

"What?"

"Oh come on, dork. It takes more than a time traveling crew member to put one over on Captain Bluebeard."

"But how could you have possibly known?" The younger girl was astonished by her partner's reaction.

"Look again."

The classic Chloe Price cockiness that accompanied her words brought a wonderful and renewed sense of familiarity to Max's heart. She turned back to the tall storage cabinet and saw the digital display next to the current time had changed.

>\+ 25.23<

"What is that?"

"It's a temporal comparator, duh…"

"What's that?"

"You never studied…" The blonde chuckled, then put on her best impression of a grad student leading a class of undergraduates through a lesson. "The temporal comparator is a device for measuring the delta T between the reference frame's timepoint Z and current flow…"

"Blah, blah, something something… random words…" The brunette smiled sweetly at her smart, beautiful companion. "Chlo, honey. I know you're trying… really hard. But all I hear is sound where there should be meaning." She pointed to herself. "Photographer, remember?"

"Just teasing, cutie. It's a thingie that tracks timey-whimey stuff based upon another thingie and shows the difference between the two. Better?" Chloe grinned like the smart-ass scientist she was.

Max slapped her palm on her forehead, then let it drop to her side. "Oh, only that? How did I not get that the first time? Uh… why is it? Wait… are you saying that it's showing the amount of time I rewound and replayed?"

"Exactly. I noticed that it had something other than zero on it when we came in; something that it's never done before, I might add. So, I decided to run a tiny little test on you."

"A test? Like a Guinea pig?"

"Weeeellllll, not just a Guinea pig, a beautiful one."

"Nice save, Chlo. So, this test…"

"I wanted to see if you were the cause, that's all. No harm. How many times?"

"Just once. Hmm, so it took you… just a little over eight seconds to catch the card key?"

"Yeah, I guess. I wanted to make sure I caught it, so I slowed time while it was in the air."

"Oh, that's clever. To me, it looked like it was a perfect throw, and you simply snatched it out of the air with two fingers. Did you know you could do that?"

Max scrunched her face in mock concentration, then paused with a more serious effort to recall the past five years. "Hmm, now that I think about it, I don't believe I ever did that before."

Chloe reached into her bag, grabbed the journal, flipped to a blank page, and jotted some notes. "Awesomesauce, babe. More things to test." She looked over to the shorter girl who was now leaning against the cabinet. "How do you feel about me putting a monitor on you? Or needles? Or…." The blonde's attention started to wander as her excitement built and she continued to describe increasingly complex experiments.

"Chloe! Hey, snap out." She quickly moved back over to her partner and waved her hands in front of the daydreamer and snapped her fingers. "I am not a lab rat." She looked deeply into the blonde's eyes and could almost imagine seeing the gears turn and ideas running rampant behind those blue windows.

Without warning, long arms captured her test subject and drew her into a warm embrace followed by a long, extremely deep kiss. "Of course you're not, Maxi. It's just so fucking exciting to finally start seeing results of all this work." She gave her another kiss. "It's like this was meant to be, you and me together finishing the work. It's a hella opportunity, you gotta admit."

The two looked longingly into each other's visage, both with content, comfortable expressions. The shorter of the pair tipped her head slightly so they were forehead to forehead.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, Chlo. We got this, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, always. But…"

"No needles?"

"Absolutely no needles. Deal?"

"Deal. But, Max? When did you become afraid of…" Chloe suddenly stopped mid-sentence and quickly her expression turned to shock when it dawned on her what she had said. "… Oh, Shit! Dude, Max, I am… fuck! I'm so sorry cutie. I shouldn't have said that." She drew the shorter girl closer.

"Yeah… I know you didn't mean anything by it. I trust you with everything and I get that you'd never hurt me, but let's just put needles aside." The brunette's voice remained toneless, yet with an underlying strength of a survivor. "Can we change the subject?"

"Uh… yeah. Sorry about that, really. I get carried away when I figure out awesome shit like this." The computer at her desk beeped at her. "Hang on, I gotta look at this. Go grab the control package and pull up a chair. Just swipe the card along the side of the locker and it'll open."

Max proceeded once again to the cabinet and swiped the access badge along the left side. Quietly, on electric motors, the glass slid aside. Starting at the top, she scrutinized each shelf and found the silvered parcel labeled control. Mission accomplished, the photographer turned around, grabbed the back of a rolling chair from another bench, sat down, pushed off and zoomed towards the desk; ending up next to Chloe. The cabinet's door slid closed automatically.

"This it, Captain Blue?"

"Ahrrr! Yer a good First Mate, that be the treasure."

"Ok, what is it?"

"You remember science back in middle school, right? You know, when I always helped you out?"

"Like it was yesterday."

"Well, then you should know, it’s a constant that is maintained to compare against an experiment's results."

"Yeah, I get that. But what are you comparing it to?"

"History. Inside that pouch is a photograph of the state of the Arcadia Bay cemetery, specifically the physical manifestation of a fixed point in time I identified years ago."

"A physical… what?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and smiled calmly. "Dad's gravesite, well his situation actually, is the location of a fixed point in time."

"But what does that mean?"

"It means that no matter what anyone, anywhere tries to do, it can't be changed. Dad is dead and nothing in this universe can ever change it. It has to happen. It's a fuck-ton more complicated than that, but it's the best hypothesis I've had…"

"You mean…" The brunette abruptly stopped talking as the idea clicked in her mind; it was like she'd been struck by lightning and, seemingly instantaneously, an immense weight lifted from her heart. Her eyes unfocused and she gazed blankly at the screen while numbers continued to scroll by.

Chloe obviously didn't catch that Max had started speaking and continued on. "… The best way I can describe it is that while the series of events that lead to Dad's death are not as important, the result is always the same. It's like a bottleneck, all the actions funnel down to that one result. As far as I can tell, and I've worked a long time on this, there are at least two more of these time points. We already know one involved Rach…" She looked over to her partner-in-time and realized the brunette had become lost in thought. "… Maxi? Are you… are you, like okay, dude?"

The time traveler slowly became self-aware again as she realized the beautiful person that was the love of her life was staring at her intently. As azure eyes drew her focus, she blinked, and shook her head to clear it. "You know… uhm… about your Dad… there's something you need to know…"

"Hey, you can tell me anything, Maximus. We're in this together."

"You might not think so… not after… please don't hate me."

"That, my First Mate, will never happen. Ever. Promise."

Max rolled her chair as close to Chloe as possible, leaned over and rested on her shoulder. She scrunched her face, drew a deep breath, seeking courage. "I tried to save him, William. Your Dad. I tried so hard to help. But I couldn't."

"You… m… my Dad?"

"Uh huh, remember when I told you about the You that was in an accident? I left one detail out…" The younger girl started shaking as all her self-doubt and insecurities flooded her mind. _What have I done?_ Her inner voice grew louder as she recalled the memories that were permanently imprinted in her mind. "Th… the change I shouldn't have made… please don't hate me, Chlo…" Tears began to fall across her freckled cheeks. "I wanted to bring your Dad back, to have you both be alive and happy. So, I kept him from driving… and you were the consequence…"

"… I was the consequence. Wait, you mean Me, as in the one in the wheelchair? Oh, holy shit!!!" The scientist stood up so quickly that it pushed the crying girl away abruptly. She set her palms flatly on the desk and bounced enthusiastically on the balls of her feet.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I know I shouldn't have done it, now. And I ruined everything." The time traveler hung her head and let the moisture flowing down her cheeks fall onto the smooth floor, where the drops made increasingly larger pools that reflected the despair in her eyes. _I failed her. My Chloe! It's all my fault. And she **should** push me away._ Thoughts of her past actions and the results started a viscous cycle that dropped the stricken girl into a bottomless pit of depression. _My fault!_ She finally got the strength to cover her freckled face with both hands and sobbed.

The suddenness of her girlfriend's pain took the blonde completely by surprise. She'd been excited by what Max had revealed because it solved a piece of the puzzle, or at least she thought it did, regarding how this particular set of events summed together to form the fixed point that it was. At first, her mind didn't connect that the loud, breathy gasps, and occasional hiccup from her First Mate were the sounds of crying. There wasn't anything to be upset about, was there? As the volume approached MAX levels though, it dawned on the excited woman that the heartbreaking noise was anything close to the delight she herself felt about the new findings, quite the opposite in fact. She stopped bouncing and looked from the screen back to her companion, sat back down, and walked her chair over to the sobbing brunette, closing the gap between the two. Carefully, she snaked a crooked finger through the hands which covered Max's face and gently nudged her chin upward. Puffy red eyes that hid the usual blue beauties met her own and was accompanied by a little snuffle.

"Hey… what's going on, cutie-Max?" A slender thumb tenderly wiped tears away from the freckled face. More waterworks followed but were deftly handled. Slowly, Chloe bent near and kissed each eye, applying a medicine of devotion and love to her suffering partner, then curled around and set the brunette's head along her shoulder. There the two sat while the Captain comforted her 'Mate. "Shhh… it's okay, I got you. Let it out, love. Shhh…" In the background, a computer began to beep.

Moments passed like the ages before Max got herself under control enough to form a coherent sentence. "I caused all of it, didn't I?"

"What are you talking about, Maxi?"

"This whole mess. It's because I tried to save your Dad, isn't it?"

"Huh? No! No no no no… you didn't cause anything, babe!"

"Th… then why did you…" The brunette hesitated. "Why did you push me away like that, unless you're pissed at me?"

"Pissed? Are you kidding? Oh…" Chloe held onto her partner more tightly. "I wasn't pissed, dude. I was like, excited, cutie! It's fucking amazeballs! Did you really think I was mad at you?"

"Uh huh." The younger girl's voice started getting more stable as she drew strength from her partner-in-crime.

"Nah! The fact that you tried saving my Dad is probably how The Plan™ got kicked off in the first place. Like the universe is trying to balance things out. Let me show you something." The blonde flipped back through the journal which still lay on her desk about halfway until she got to a page with tiny, handwritten equations and a chart. She pointed to the graph. "See this? You recognize it, right?"

Having wiped away most of the wetness on Chloe's shoulder, Max leaned over and stared at the printed numbers and diagrams. "Yeah, I do. I had to memorize all of it. But I have no idea what it means."

Calmly, the scientist placed her index finger above the chart, underneath a particular equation. "This here is the basic equation that describes the flow of time, yeah?"

"I'll take your word for it."

"Right. So, in layman's terms, it describes the baseline natural progression of events. And it's graphed out here. With me so far?" She trailed her finger down underneath a chart that had a single blue line curving around; apparently showing a relationship between a pair of equations on either axis.

The brunette shrugged because she really had no idea how it all worked. "No, but go on."

The blonde smiled sweetly at her girlfriend and then focused back in on the book. "Well, look at the chart. See this break?" She waited until Max nodded. "This is the, for want of a better word, time where Dad died."

"Okay…"

"Now check this out…" Hands moved to the keyboard and typed in a series of commands which produced a new window, an Excel spreadsheet. Chloe pointed to a similar chart, in fact one that looked identical to the previous, but with and additional red line running parallel to the original blue; even the gaps were the same. The equations on each axis had identical extra terms but were otherwise the same as the previous as well. "Do you see it?"

Max, not a wiz at the dreaded topic that was _Fucking Math_ , but one with at least a basic understanding of how it worked, scrutinized the chart she'd drawn from memory and then looked at the screen. She extracted herself from her partner, but not before giving the blonde a quick kiss, and walked around the desk to stand at one corner of the wall-sized display. "What's this?" She pointed to the extra terms.

"It's an unknown, or at least it was. The data from a few of my previous experiments suggested _something_ was going, an outside influence that no one that had worked on The Plan™ had realized. So, I took an educated guess and added the term to both sides to see what would happen."

"The lines are parallel."

"Good, MathX!"

The cute freckles on the younger girl's face scrunched up at the sound of her new nickname. "MathX? Really?" She shook her head.

"Heh, yeah that one's lame... hard as fuck to say anyway."

"Agreed. But please, continue."

"Anyhoo, the terms you so deftly pointed out, and by the way, good job, cutie, I'll make a scientist out of you yet; the world needs more hot science'y babes after all… Oh the things I could do to… er… I mean show you…" Chloe's voice trailed off as she gazed into the distance, and lightly tapped her index finger to her chin as she started daydreaming.

Max rolled her eyes and smiled, she had to get her partner back on track. "Chloe!"

Snapping back to reality, the lithe scientist shrugged and then continued. "Sorry… Where was I?"

"The parallel lines on the chart."

"Gotcha, right. Now these lines, like I said, are from an earlier experiment but they're otherwise the same, but with a different baseline. But watch when I do this." More typing ensued and produced a third black, dashed line that fell below the two others, but was identical in every way.

"Okay, but where did that line come from?"

"Just now, or at least back when you rewound to show off and catch the card key."

"It was a good catch, well the second time at least."

"Hella good, and because you did that it helped fill in the missing blank. We now know what the unknown term is."

The short brunette looked back and forth from the screen to her companion, slowing after a few moments as the meaning became clear. Like little switches in her mind flipping in unison, it literally clicked. "It's… it's me."

"It most certainly is. You, or at least your ability caused a small change. You caught the key instead of missed it. But the gaps didn't change. Which means…?" Chloe looked on expectantly as she awaited her cute time travelling sweetheart to figure it out for herself.

After some additional silence, wide, ocean-blue eyes surrounded by a starfield of freckles became wide with amazement. "The events still happen."

"Exactly, Maxi-Max. The timey-whimey stuff doesn't change it. No matter what you do, they are always there."

"It's not my fault?"

"It never was, babe. Some shit just has to happen."

"What's the other gaps then? You said this one is your Dad. How about the next? Is that…"

"Rachel. Yup. That can't be changed either. No matter how much any of us want it to."

"And this one here?" She pointed to another part of the line, this one not a gap but a drop to almost zero.

"That one there is harder to explain and it's the other reason I was in Arcadia Bay the other day. As far as I can tell, that's the storm you mentioned, or at least the one that happened here."

"Wait… what storm? You said Arcadia Bay was fine, you were just there."

"Yeah, I was, and it is. Fuck, how do I explain this? That storm never happened in the Bay."

"I'm not following. You say Arcadia Bay is fine and yet the storm happened. Aren't those opposites? Why isn't The Bay leveled?"

"It's really quite simple."

"You're not going to tell me this is all a big fucking joke, are you?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Dude, I give you a lot of shit. I know. Part of my charm, yeah? But I would never joke about that."

"Okay, then how is it possible. If the storm happened, Arcadia Bay and all its people are dead. It doesn't make sense."

"Max, Max, Max… you're overlooking one thing."

"What am I missing, Chlo?"

"The storm didn't hit Arcadia Bay. It was close, about 5 miles out of town, but it skipped us completely and just tore up a two-mile-wide stretch of forest."

Something in her mind clicked suddenly and the brunette put her hand out, reached for the nearest seat and sat down next to the monitor array. "Hold on a sec…" She looked up at the diagrams on the screen again before continuing. "How can the storm even have happened here? The other me that was around never messed with time, or did she?"

"Who, auto-Max? Not as far as I know, there would have been indicators."

"Then how is the storm even possible?"

"Like I said, cutie, it has to happen. In this case, it's just a matter of where and when. I've run the numbers backwards and forwards looking at all the different possibilities. For example, this same pattern of event convergence, which causes the storm, happened in Seattle along a separate timeline; 2006 if I remember correctly."

"You can see other streams?"

"That would be awesomesauce! But, no I can't. Instead I run simulations based on the numbers. It's pretty accurate, though I've never been able to measure it against anything… not until now at least. With you here, love, that could change." The blonde smiled innocently at the seated girl.

"Still not a lab rat, Chlo."

"Fiiiiinnnneee, just think about it, will ya?"

"So, getting back to the storm, this means I didn't cause it either."

"Nope. So, stop beating yourself up over it. Deal?"

As another weight lifted from her soul, the time traveler stood up, moved back over to her girlfriend, gently pulled on the chair the blonde was seated upon, and sat lightly on her lap. She leaned over to lay her head on her shoulder. "Thanks, Chlo. You have no idea how much that helps."

The pirate captain wrapped her long arms around the brunette. "You've been through shit, First Mate. But the reality is that you didn't cause any of it. Not even with all the crap you told me about."

The brunette laid still and enjoyed the warmth of her soul mate; it made her feel content and able to finally talk about all that happened without breaking down. "I let you die for nothing then."

"No, no. Not nothing, babe. If you hadn't chosen the way you did, we'd never have found each other. Action and consequence."

"But the other me and you would still be together then."

"True, but like you described, Arcadia Bay would be gone and you'd be blaming yourself the entire time. I know you, Maxi-pad, you'd be miserable."

"It sounds like a no-win situation."

"It does, but you know what?"

"Hmmm?"

"I don't believe in the no-win situation. Never have, never will. And that, my beautiful time traveler, is what The Plan™ is all about. We're gonna save them all. Every last one of us, babe. Every Max, and every Chloe everywhere and everywhen."

"It's just so… mind blowingly huge."

"Go big or go home, First Mate. Captain Bluebeard never loses."

"You're still a dork."

"Back at you." The blonde leaded over and kissed the top of Max's head, sat her chin upon it, then walked her chair, now holding the both of them, back to her desk. She clicked a few buttons on the keyboard to see if the machine had finished analyzing the new data. "Let's see what surprises we have here."

Max sat up a bit and rearranged herself so they could both see the monitor. "I'd rather not have any more surprises."

"That's science, Max. Sometimes things work out like you predict, other times your results send you off on a completely new adventure."

"You make it sound like a video game." The brunette changed her voice to a monotone, narrator style tone. "You are in a maze of twisty little passages that all look the same, what do you do?"

The blonde chuckled a bit, then paused for thought. "X Y Z Z Y, nah… too obvious. Hell, with you around we've got our very own cheat code. M A X."

In the same monotone, the younger girl continued their game. "You win. Game Over." She cuddled a bit closer onto her partner and changed back to her normal speech. "But this isn't a video game. We can't just insert another quarter to continue."

"Who says it isn't? The universe and life can be really strange sometimes. Hell, you being a time commando might make a really cool one someday. I bet stories will be written about it too! I'd read that."

"I would too, as long as you're in it."

With another quick kiss, the blonde turned her attention to the screen as the data started coalescing into a series of patterns.

"What are we looking at, Chlo?"

"Well, you know when I said I was in Arcadia Bay to run an experiment?"

"Mmm hmm."

"I use the grave site because it's out of the way and is directly linked to Dad's death. A better place would be the place he actually died, but then I'd be standing in the middle of an intersection. I use the cemetery as an anchor, a constant that as far as I know doesn't change across any timeline. This last experiment was a multi-year test to measure timestream shift."

"What a whatta? You're not making any sense."

"Sorry. Look, I have a hypothesis I'm testing, one that basically says I can send a signal in a certain manner to a particular place in space and affect the current timeline without any sort of weird paradox or causality issues."

"And the timestream shift part?"

"That's the process by which the changed timestream catches up and merges with the current one."

"But why?"

"Think about it. Now that you've told me how I got the journal in the first place ask yourself a question. Where did your journal come from?"

"I found it behind an old fireplace mantle." Max paused for a second, wriggled her way off Chloe and sat back in her own seat. "Wait a second. . . how the fuck did it get there? I only noticed it because the map above… the map…"

"Map?"

"Yeah, in my old apartment, before I jumped here, the alcove above the fireplace had some really cool, old style navigation map of the Oregon coast. I thought it was coincidence, but it was a nice reminder of some simpler times; something I needed because of my depression issues. One day, though, the light hit it just right and caught my eye. So, I got up on a stool and took a closer look." As she explained her findings, her freckled expression grew increasingly amazed.

"What did you see?"

"X marks the spot, and it pointed to where the journal was hidden. But, Chloe, how is that possible? That map was probably eighty years old."

The scientist smiled confidently at the younger girl. "That's timestream shift, a change finally caught up to your personal time stream. Holy shit, that's incredible! It means the person, the other Me, figured it out too. Not only that, but figured out how to do it across timestreams, not just her own."

"But why? I mean, I've written and rewritten the journal so many times I've lost count."

"Was it always the same?"

"No, every time I did it there were more pages."

"Then that's your answer. The Plan™ is still in the process of being worked out. Ours represents the last known set of data and facts. It's something I've always wondered about because of the way it's written."

"What do you mean?"

"I say that because it reads like a textbook. It's amazingly advanced, but it starts out with some basics and eventually pushes the reader into more and more complex concepts. But it's also like an instruction manual or recipe, because of how it's organized. Like, the very first task I needed to do was to create a way to send a signal. After that, learn about timestream shift. Then there's other stuff I haven't gotten to yet. I'm still learning, which is why I'm still in school working on my first PhD. But I have a question for you, Max. How many times did you take the journal back?"

"I lost count, I donno. Maybe a hundred over the course of maybe a half year in my personal timeline. Most of the time there'd be additional pages, but a few times nothing new."

The blonde scientist got a far off look on her face as she processed the new information. "I wonder how many years…"

"Years?"

"Yeah. There's a pattern here." She flipped to the first section of the open book. It's heading showed a single word.

inforM

Then she opened to near the middle of the pages, denoted with a blue Post-it tab.

leArn

Finally, the blonde thumbed to the last section, where she usually put her own notes and finding.

eXtend

"I always wondered why the headings were written like that. See it?" She wrote the three headings on a separate sheet of paper and underlined the capital letters.

infor **M** le **A** rn e **X** tend

"M A X… Me?"

"Yup, it's all about you, babe; every bit of The Plan™ is about you. And the kicker is you're the one that made it possible. You take the information back in time, write it down to help teach the next person; that person being me. I start with the basics, learn new things, document any new findings, and then send a signal; the cycle repeats. Over and over. Fuck, that's mind-blowing!"

"What is?"

"The fact that I've spent the last five years working on this project, all towards furthering The Plan™. You said it yourself, you've brought the information back a shit-load of times. There must be hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge here. All tied to solving some problem involving… you."

"Wowser." The brunette didn't have words to describe what she was feeling. "Okay, then I have another question. Why did I have to take it back so many times?"

"That part is easy. The timestreams that you create have a limited lifetime."

"I always thought they fizzled out."

"They do, but while some are measured in days, others are measured in years, maybe decades. There's no way to predict it accurately, though I've tried; kind of a side project and another goal of my most recent experiment."

"So, you're saying this timestream is going to fizzle out? I'm not sure I like the sound of that. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Not really. The Chloe that has been directing this whole project set my expectations about that a long time ago. She said it herself that her time was running out."

"And you've worked on this ever since, even though you knew your time was limited?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Because you're worth it. Whatever we're trying to fix, if it involves you, then I'll break every law in the universe trying to keep you safe."

Max's eyes started getting misty as the thoughts of all those Chloes working to keep her safe rolled through her mind. "I think I'm going to cry again."

"Don't be sad, cutie. We're together. That's all that really matters."

The younger girl looked towards the screen where part of the message still shown. "Change of plans… What does that mean?"

"Let's find out." The scientist's hand clicky-clicked on the keyboard, and the screen produced a new window.

Chloe stared at the screen with her mouth half-open. "I…" She was at a loss for words; no amount of education or training could have prepared her for what she was seeing. She reached over and opened the silvered anti-static bag Max had retrieved and pulled out a single sheet of paper upon which she'd documented her original experiment prior to starting.

2018 🕗 Z + 10

~~2018~~

2017 ◤◢ Z + 9

~~2017 ◗◖~~

2016 ◘◘ Z + 8

~~2016 ◢◤~~

2015 ◙◗ Z + 7

~~2015 ◤~~

2013 💀🦋 Z + 5

2008 💔‼ Z

"What the fuuuuu…." The scientist let her voice trail off as her eyes were drawn to the message below:

**_~~~~~~~~~~_ **

**Ahoy Captain!**

**Yeah, you might be a little confused and all, but I intercepted your signal in transit. You see, we have this little problem we've all been working on and there's been a development. If I know you, you're probably already thinking about everything that can go wrong, not that I blame you, but don't worry too much. It's fixable, I think.**

**That said, this Captain has been marooned here for the next 25 years on my own desert island. Sure, it's full of amazing shit I never even thought of, well… not yet anyway, and it doesn't hurt that the bank account is near endless. However, I'm at the point in my research that I need more heads rather than just myself working on it and I can't use the resources I've got because, well, let's just say they won't remember any of it for a long time.**

**Fuck, I'm rambling again. It happens when you're all alone. Anyway, I'll get to the point. We have at least one unexpected ally that has some amazing abilities, like big fucking powers over time and space. I don't know how or why she has them, but it might just help us explain why time and space are broken in the first place, and why it involves Max.**

**Speaking of our First Mate, I hope you're keeping her safe because The Plan™ is still a go. What? You didn't expect me to know what's going on at your end? We've got much better simulations now so it's almost like we can watch you on a TV, and that's exactly what I did right up to the point of your experiment's timestream sync. That was fucking brilliant, by the way. I hadn't thought of using the anchors, what you call fixed points, in that way. However, for some reason I can't see past the next day. The data shows your timestream is still going, but everything just blanks out over here. Maybe it's because I changed your data, I don't know. Some of this is still guesswork after all.**

**Anyway, once I saw your signal it put a couple of unknown parts of my own equations together and so I have exactly one more experiment left to do. You're going to be in for a shock, but please don't freak too much. It'll take me some time to figure it out so just be patient.**

**Sincerely,**

**Chloe Elizabeth 'Bluebeard' Price**   
**13 th Captain, PhD**   
**S.S. Arcadia Bay**

**P.S. Remember to follow the white rabbit, Neo.**   
**P.P.S. Damn, I love that movie.**   
**P.P.P.S. Knock! Knock!**

**_~~~~~~~~~~_ **

The two girls looked at each other with incredibly confused looks on their face, and they stayed that way in silent shock until they were startled almost out of their skins by a loud noise that reverberated through the room.

**Knock! Knock!**


	12. Marooned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks! Here's another chapter for you, and I hope you enjoy. Our girls have had quite the journey and it's not over yet. For those that have left comments, I cannot begin to tell you all how much I appreciate you spending your time to give feedback. As usual, if you have any questions or additional words, please do not hesitate.  
>    
> Thanks go to [ClarX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx), [Aspect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11), and [escherlat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/escherlat/pseuds/escherlat) for the beta help. I couldn't do it without your assistance and am honored beyond words.
> 
> Stay tuned, more chapters are in the pipe!

**July 20, 2051 (Z + 43)  
Fucking early o'clock  
Day 209**

It's been seven months, one day, thirteen hours, and twenty-seven minutes since I ended up on this desert island. Honestly, it's not really as lonely a place as what's been made romantic in books, and movies; swashbuckling captain in a battle against all odds winds up washed ashore on an unknown landmass with no ships in sight. I mean, shit, I've got it all: a private lab, private identity, private bank account with a fuck-ton of treasure within, and a private apartment all to myself. What else could a young, super-hot, red-headed, awesomesauce scientist, and pirate captain want?

Just one thing. A person, but not just any person.

_Max..._

I sigh a bit as I stare into my coffee cup. At this moment, I'm seated in a little coffee shop in Capital Hill, Seattle. The Victrola Roastery along Pine Street opens seriously early to help support the early bird tech bros and the sad insomniacs, like myself, as we all seek to jump start our brains. The coffee is hot, plentiful, and the place's old industrial interior with its high ceiling, riveted metal I-beams holding up the roof, old brickwork walls, and scarred oak floors make a comfortable, and quiet place to charge up. I had a long day ahead of me, so needed all the caffeine I could lay on.

This coffee spot is my go-to place ever since I walked out of my older self's door a completely different person. Looking back, I find it amazing how unpredictable events have been. I mean, my whole presence here isn't by choice. Yeah, I've been working on my part of The Plan™ for the past eleven years, so I should have anticipated the unexpected. But I hadn't, and yet my life had been saved by another seemingly random event. I might be marooned here, but I can't really complain given the alternative. But she's still not here...

_Max, my First Mate. I miss her so god-damned much!_

I had involuntarily left her behind and been physically pulled into a completely different timeline. I knew that now, and it's how I had met a disabled, wheelchair-bound version of myself. She'd been a lot older than me, which meant I had not only switched to a different stream, but one that was many decades in the future of my original one. I'd also met an older version of Rachel. Even middle-aged, she was still hot as fuck, and I was glad to see somewhere, sometime that she was alive. I didn't exactly know what the details of their relationship were, but at minimum they were friends; the two had partnered up and between them directed The Plan™ for decades.

I took a bite out of the cheese and bacon croissant that would tide me over for a couple more hours and flipped open my version of the journal to the last couple of pages. The experimental data I'd produced just yesterday had led to some interesting possibilities, as well as a couple of terrifying facts. I looked at the bad news again, yet no matter how many times I reviewed its results, I could only agree with its conclusions. We'd made a mistake. Somewhere along the path The Crew™ had sailed we'd missed something basic, a rule or fact, a navigation buoy along our voyage. It didn't matter. We were headed in the wrong direction, one that would lead us all to what my data showed would be the complete destruction of our ship with all hands lost. Total failure to obtain our objectives. I'm a scientist, so there's no point denying the truth, we'll be dead in the water if we continue.

_Fuck, bitch. Get it together!_

There is some good news though. While we may currently be heading to our impending doom, this pirate isn't without a backup plan. Notwithstanding that my hair is red right now, I wouldn't be Captain Fucking Bluebeard without an escape option. I've located a timeline in the past that is different than all the others. It's stable; I don't know why, but for some reason it isn't losing energy like the others. It's like it has attained some form of critical mass that keeps it from succumbing to the basic forces of entropy.

_Unlike my own._

The other positive outcome is that I've been able to attach a signal to our newly discovered white hole, that break between what I imagined was our universe and some other radically different one. Maybe not so different? I don't know, really. I've got a shit load of experiments left to do before I can say more. But one thing is for certain, I can make the longest distance call any universe has ever known. Yeah, it might be a one-way message-in-a-bottle so to speak, but if it is received by my mysterious, life-saving time traveler, it could help save us all in the end.

With that thought, I finish the last of my coffee and head back towards the light rail that will take me to the Eastside where my lab is located. The walk down the grungy sidewalks in Capital Hill this early in the morning is easy, even for a Thursday workday. The tech bros are either still asleep, or like me, getting caffeinated to the max in preparation for another daily grind. With school out and summer in full swing, the crowds are much less of a problem than normal. It looks like it's gonna be a hot one too; the cloudless sky is just starting to brighten over the tops of the old brick apartment buildings along my way, and there's no breeze to keep things cool. Who knows, maybe I'll hit the beach after work; unlike the tech bros that apparently melt in sunlight, I happen to enjoy being outside.

 _Heh! Work…_ It really isn't work at all. The lab is all mine, and I have an almost unlimited supply of money to apply any way I see fit. My other self, the one in the wheelchair, set everything up as if she'd known the current situation was going to happen. It's spooky, really, how much she seems to be able to predict what's going to happen. But, I can't complain and while I'm the one steering this ship, I'm going to make use of the opportunity it presents. It doesn't hurt that technology has moved forward so much. I mean, it shouldn't surprise me, but damn, who would have thought some of this shit was even possible? Quantum computers had been a thing even in my day, but now they're so mainstream that you're considered a relic from the past if you don't have a whole setup. Ironic, I know, considering that I'm one of those artifacts. If folks knew where, or more specifically when I've come from, they'd call me a _fucking millennial_. But they don't know, so it's all good, and if anyone does figure it out, well let's just say I've got a pair of special fingers to show them.

"Heh heh." I chuckle a bit as I walk down the stairs of the Capital Hill station; the entrance to the deep bore tunnel that carried the aging light rail North and South providing access to the sprawling city-sized campus that was the combined schools of the University of Washington and Seattle University, and other places like the airport and the Eastside; which was my destination. I was happy to finally be done with school. Sure The U™ has an excellent set of programs and teaching settings, but I really need to get shit done and can't have a lot of other folks watching. "School's out fuckers!" I laugh out loud as I board the train, maybe I said that a little too loudly. Good thing I've got the train mostly to myself. Looks like my old punk personality is returning with a vengeance, and why the hell shouldn't it? I got my fucking PhD and no one can take that away from me. It's a hella big accomplishment if I do say so myself.

The train starts to move and I lean back, prop my long legs across the scratched and worn plastic bench to make myself comfortable. While it may be old, the rail is still the best way to get out of Seattle without having to deal with the absurd traffic. It would be about 30 minutes to reach Redmond Technology Center so a bit of shuteye should do the trick. As always, relaxing allows my mind to work on background tasks, something of an ability I've become aware of during my school years. It's nice to be able to get sleep, or daydream, and the solution to a problem just pops into my head. Of course, once that happens I usually fail to get back to sleep, but it's a fair tradeoff. The lights dimmed as we entered the tunnel, my eyes started to droop, and thoughts turned, once again, to my First Mate. _I wonder what she's up to._

* * *

**April 28, 2021 (Z + 13)**  
**Evening**  
**Outside a lecture hall**

I stood outside the building watching as people casually walked out the doors. Her talk must have just ended, so it shouldn't be long until my gorgeous blonde partner and I can meet up. We've arranged both our schedules so we can enjoy a much-needed mid-spring break from our respective studies. No classes or work on The Plan™ for the next three days; just a quiet drive out to the coast to relax on the beach. Even the weather looks to be cooperating. Honestly, I'm shaking with excitement.

We've been working on The Plan™ almost non-stop for years, yet it seems we started the whole project just yesterday. Apparently, time really does fly. I still remember how it all started with a surprise phone call.

* * *

**June 18, 2013 (Z + 5)**  
**Finals week**  
**Caulfield residence, Seattle**

" _Fucking math_!" I slammed the book closed after what felt like hours working on my last assignment. The teacher had, in his wonderful wisdom, decided that a big project would replace the final exam. 'It's take-home,' he said,"it'll be easy if you payed attention during the semester."

"Why? Why is it always math?" I muttered to myself as I laid my arms on the desk, closed my eyes, and dropped my head onto them. Time seemed to slow down whenever I did my homework, but it was really dragging right now. Maybe if I just lay here, it'll jump from my mind onto the page without the normal intermediary of making me do the work. _Yeah, right. This sucks bigtime._

After what seemed like hours, the miasma of numbers that were swirling in my head finally started to sort themselves out, but it was a painfully slow process that, given another year perhaps, I might actually come up with the solution. I thought about this for a couple more moments and was interrupted by a soft hum that traveled through the desk, and directly into my head. When I opened my eyes, I could see my phone had lit up and was slowly dancing its way around the scratched surface. At this angle I couldn't see who was calling, but whomever it was may have just given me the reprieve I needed. I watched while the device paused and began vibrating again. I lifted my head slightly to get a better view of the caller ID and what I saw got my attention real damn quickly. _Chloe?_ I sat straight up, immediately forgetting everything about my current math hell and fumbled to grab the phone.

The buzzing stopped and my phone presented a blank screen again as it went back to sleep. I stared at it for a good three minutes looking at my frazzled self in its shiny surface while I tried to put together this new turn of events.

_Had I imagined it?_

_That couldn't have been Chloe._

_Why would she call me?_

_She hates my guts._

Hesitantly, my finger brought the device back to life and switched to the previous calls list. I had not, as it turned out, imagined it. Her name, unseen on this phone for years, showed at the top of the list. I tapped the contact and hovered over the call button, one of the most difficult tasks I'd ever endured; even _fucking math_ was easier.

My torment was cut short as the screen switched automatically to the caller ID and began vibrating. Her name appeared in big letters across its face once more. As if on autopilot, I touched the accept button and held the device to my ear. My ordeal, however, became insurmountable as I couldn't get my voice to make even the slightest sound.

"Max?" Her voice was like an angel's, and she didn't sound upset. I sat there dumbfounded and could only breath back at her.

"Hello? Max? You there?"

I fought to make even the smallest sound and failed miserably.

"Are you going to say something, dork? Or you just gonna mouth-breath at me?"

_Confirmed! She! Hates! Me!_

A tidal wave of emotions swept through me, crashing into the barriers I had erected. My eyes flooded with tears as I fought back the storm surge. I wanted so badly to speak to her, my Captain. After all these years of adrift in the endless sea of depression. All I managed was a pathetic "C.. Chl…"

"Good, you are there! Long time, First Mate!"

She didn't sound angry at all, more like excited. I didn't know how to process this fact; I would have despised what I had done to her if I was in her place. Yet, even given that, I tried again to make a coherent sentence. "Chloe?" That was as far as I got as rivers poured down my cheeks and onto the papers spread across my desk. "Chloe? I…"

"Dude, are you crying?"

I still couldn't resolve the contradictory concepts that she must loathe my very existence over what I had done, and the apparent reality that Chloe was speaking to me on the phone and not screaming at me in the first place.

"Look, Maxi. I know what's going on in your head. Take your time, I can wait."

 _…I can wait…_ I think that's what did it, the last straw. Her voice had remained even and patient when I had expected nothing more that I deserved. I just couldn't take it anymore and the floodgates opened. All my feelings, my endless torment and self-hatred streamed out as the dam that held it all back disintegrated. "Chloe!" That was the only coherent word I uttered, and it was punctuated with the terrible sounds of anguish as my soul and heart tore into pieces. I wailed into the microphone five years' worth of pent up remorse as I recounted every second of my involuntary separation. After a subjective eternity, I simply couldn't hold the phone upright any further. I had no strength left in me, so I dropped it on the now soggy math homework and covered its speaker with my ear. My arms flopped to my side as I bridged the gap between my chair and the desk. "Chloe… I'm… I'm… sorry." I finally said it.

"Gotta tell you, Maximus, that was an epic cry."

_Wait… is she… teasing me?_

"Feeling better, nerd?"

"Y… yeah, yeah I am." I paused for a second. Her words and tone were soothing, and I felt myself starting to regroup. "Not… not a nerd."

"Max, you are the original nerd. You can't possibly be anything other than a nerd. You're the nerdiest nerd in the whole world… Your nerd level is set to Maximum. Your middle name is nerd!"

"I… that makes me feel so much better."

"Hey, don't forget it takes one to know one! Welcome to the club! Maxi-nerd."

My demeanor continued to brighten as I listened to her antics. I had missed messing around with my best friend so much, and it was like I had been paroled from my prison. I had been given my freedom, and I decided, right there, that I wasn't going to waste it any further. "Uh, Chlo? Did you call for a reason, or did you just call to tell me I was a nerd?"

"But you are a nerd, nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd!" She was like a little kid that had found its favorite play toy after it had been lost. " Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd!" I could literally imagine her bouncing around the room repeating that single word over and over. She stopped and I bet she was wearing that classic Chloe smirk, full of fun and sass, all the while staring back at her own phone as if I were in the room with her.

A ping sounded on my phone. She'd texted me something. I opened the messaging app and yup, there she was, just like I thought. My heart leapt from my chest at the sight of my long-lost best friend. _Holy shit! Is that blue hair?_ I started to cry again, snuffled a little bit, and tried to put up a stoic façade. "You done, dork?" My voice cracked.

"Nope, hang on." I waited. " Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd!" She seemed to take a breath and then spoke again. "Okay, Max. I'm done now. Fuck! Not gonna lie, it is damn good to hear your voice."

"It has been a while. I…"

"Nope, I know what you're going to say. Don't. We both made mistakes and it's been too long to waste even more time."

"But..."

"We're good, okay?"

"Alright… uhm, you didn't call me just to tell me I was a nerd, did you?"

"No, nerd, I didn't. But I kinda expected you to get a little down, so you know me, I'll try in my own way to cheer up my First Nerd-mate."

"A little?" I was still wavering between falling back into depression and enjoying the excitement of hearing her voice again, and yet I couldn't help to giggle at that nickname.

"Okay, a lot then," she agreed, "and I could tell you weren't faking."

"Faking? Why would I do that, Chlo? You know there isn't a day that's gone past that I didn't think about you."

"Gotcha, Maximus, and I feel the same way. I needed to know if you had something to do with it, now I know that it's genuine and not a joke."

"Wait, I'm confused. Something to do with what?"

"My journal. I thought maybe it was a joke you were playing on me."

"Not getting it Chloe. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Exactly. The fact that my little cutie all the way over in Seattle has no idea what I'm talking about, and I know you well enough to tell if you're lying, means that it's all true."

She started to ramble about math, equations, physics, and so on. I had to break into the conversation when she took a breath. "Chloe, stop. I don't know what you mean. What does physics have to do with us?"

"Hang a sec… I'll show you."

Over the connection I could hear a drawer open and what sounded like pages of a book being flipped. Then another ping on my phone made me switch back to the messaging app. The image was of a bound book laid out and opened, showing two pages. It was similar to my own diary except mine didn't have math and equations within. The image showed a handwritten letter followed by the other that was edge-to-edge covered in scientific notations and scribbles.

"You get the pic?"

"Yup, hang on, Chlo…" I read the left-hand page and every word make my brain hurt. This has to be some sort of prank. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope, not even my awesomesauce self could come up with a gag this good. Did you notice it, though? Look again. It's why I called."

I re-read every word once again, slowly and carefully while my mind churned. As I got to the end of what seemed to be an introduction to the _Fucking Math™_ on the following pages something in my head clicked. I paused with my mouth hanging wide open. _It couldn't be. That's impossible!_ I dropped the phone and leaned back in my chair.

"Now do you get it?" Chloe had obviously heard the clatter of the device as it hit my desk, her voice coming from the tiny speaker made her seem a million miles away. I tapped a button so I could hear her clearly again; I didn't have the strength to pick the device up.

"It's not possible… there's no way." I was almost convinced this whole conversation was a ploy, something my mischievous pirate Captain might do, but I couldn't reconcile the evidence. "That's my handwriting! But I didn't…"

Chloe cut me off mid-sentence. "Dude, that's why it's gotta be true. If you didn't do it, then someone else did, a person with your handwriting. It's fucking amazing!"

"But what's that part about keeping your distance… from me?"

"Who knows? But I gotta tell you, there ain't no fucking way I wouldn't go sail these uncharted waters without my First Mate. And with you being in Seattle, I guess we cover that part too. You in?"  
I thought about her last words momentarily. "I'm in, Chlo. But about Seattle… uhm… I applied to Blackwell."

Time passed slowly and it took about thirty seconds for her to speak up again. "You… you're coming to the bay?"

"Yup. I haven't heard back yet, but I've been planning it for a year. Photography, and… you."

"Holy shit, Maxi! That's huge! But…"

"What is it, Chloe?"

"I kinda was hoping you'd stay in Seattle."

"What? Why?"

"It's a long story."

"Tell me."

We spent the next two hours catching up. I learned of all the shit she'd been through, like how she dropped out of school, and her relationship with her step-douche. She'd even had problems with drinking and drugs… and the loss of her girlfriend. _Huh. Girlfriend. Kinda makes sense really._

Everything for her changed when she found the book, and that got us up to current events. It turns out Chloe is also facing exams as she is trying to get her GED, and the biggest news is that she's planning to move to Seattle to attend the University of Washington this coming fall.

"So, yeah Max, I was gonna try to surprise you by showing up at your door in a couple of months."

"But if I get accepted to Blackwell, we'll miss each other… again"

"Probably. Look, I don't want to interfere in your plans…"

It was at that moment I realized I had a choice to make. "Chlo…" I paused and ran it through my head again as if convincing myself. But it didn't matter, it had already been made for me. Someone, somehow, had set things up for my best friend and I to reconnect. Today was the happiest day I've had for years and it's all because of her.

_My Chloe._

_We'll always be together, even when we're apart._

Fuck that shit! I decided right there and then.

"Chloe, you know… there are other schools I could go to. I don't have to go to Blackwell. Let's get The Crew™ back together."

"Awesomesauce!"

"Another thing… uhm…"

"Anything, Maxi Max. What do you need?"

"Can you like… give me a hand with this _Fucking Math™_ ?"

We worked until late into the morning getting me through my project. All the while it was as if the weight of the world, the burden I'd carried on my back for five terrible years, evaporated. I could stand free, side by side with my best friend. We'd take over the world, and to top it off, she'd called me cute.

Best. Fucking. Day. Ever.

We talked until our phone batteries were almost exhausted. Plans, contingencies, and a couple of visits were all part of the new map we built, setting our course across an unknown sea. After we were forced to hang up, I plugged in my phone and went and put the final touches on the project. Maybe math wasn't so bad, especially when I've got…

…My Chloe.

* * *

**April 28, 2021 (Z + 13)**  
**Evening**  
**Still outside a lecture hall**

So yeah, we've done a lot in the time. Chloe will soon have her PhD, and who would have ever guessed a geeky photographer, like myself, would find a passion for the hard sciences too; I have my own credentials as an undergrad, and even though we've always been competitive amongst ourselves, I am content to be my Captain's First Mate and assistant. Photography pays our bills nicely as I have a knack for winning contests and a few major publications are seeking my work on an almost monthly basis now, which is part of the point of our little upcoming trip.

I absentmindedly twirled my student ID that hung around my neck as the number of folks that exited, mostly late middle-aged professors and faculty, dwindled to just a few stragglers. _Had I missed her?_ I looked behind me along the path that lead to other parts of campus and the parking lots but didn't see my tall girlfriend; she'd stand out amongst the older gentleman easily.

"Huh. Maybe she used the other door." I shrugged and started to walk casually around the older brick building while I fished my phone out of my back pocket. I dialed her number but ended up in voice mail.

"Hey, Chlo. It's me. Just waiting for you outside."

I disconnected only after I made a bunch of kissy-smoochie noises, which was sure trip up my super-confident science-punk. Honestly, I wasn't really concerned. Chloe had this habit of going off-tangent occasionally, however in this case, she most likely got intercepted by one of the attendees to answer some questions. I'd find her either standing outside waiting for me, not realizing she'd chosen the wrong exit, or in the hall's corridors. No biggie.

When I turned the corner along the lighted sidewalk, the back door came into view; the well-lit steps leading up to it were clear. No Chloe. _Okay, then she must be inside._ Deciding on my next course of action I entered the building and started to look for her mentor's office; a good place to start as any. The quiet hallways with its scuffed wooden floors, dark mahogany doors, and coffee colored walls presented a comfortable environment and always makes me at ease. This is a place of learning and its offices house some of the most brilliant minds of the region. I continued down the corridor until I found the office I was looking for. Its door was cracked open, and I could see there was a light on. Doctor Blenstat, or Doc as he liked to be called, was still here, maybe he and Chloe were going over the lecture. I knocked on the door and awaited a response.

"Yes?"

I opened the door and stepped into Doc's office to find the greying professor behind a desk piled with papers, all neatly organized. I immediately noticed a folder open before him with Chloe's name clearly written on the tab. The aging physicist was old-school and still kept paper records of his students.

"Max! Come in, have a seat." He gestured me to a comfortable looking leather chair that faced the desk. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey, Doc. It's nice to see you too."

"Just finishing up here after your girl's talk." Doc was pretty cool for someone his generation. He neither judged, nor belittled my relationship with Chloe. Instead, he treated us like his own daughters, which was sweet. "Speaking of, I'm a little surprised you and she aren't off on your little excursion. Did she forget something?"

"No, no nothing like that. I haven't seen her since before her seminar. I'm looking for her."

"That's odd. You just missed her by," he slid up the sleeve of his cardigan and glanced at his old mechanical wristwatch, "five minutes."

"Oh. Then I should have seen her." I got up from the chair to leave. " I'd better go before she gets worried about me. Thanks, Doc."

"Never a problem, Max. Go have a fun weekend." The gentleman that he was stood up, offered his hand, we shook, and then I left his office and headed back towards the main doors. When I arrived, Chloe wasn't in sight so I loitered around the entrance patiently waiting.

She never did meet me that night. I spent hours waiting and eventually went home to our shared apartment with the hopes of finding a message on the answering machine, a note, or any indication that she was okay.

But there were no messages or notes. Nothing.

I tried her cell phone again and dropped right into voice mail. I sent a text that I was home, and it didn't even show as delivered. Maybe her phone ran out of batteries or something. It was like she disappeared. A shiver went through my body that had nothing to do with the apartment's temperature.

Reluctant to turn in for the evening, I spent some time making some Maxaroni and Che. It's really just homemade mac n' cheese, but Chlo can't help her impulsive nicknaming in the same manner that I can't stop taking pictures. The task helped me take my mind off my missing partner-in-crime, though not by much. I had to continuously repeat to myself that there _must_ be a good explanation for her absence, after all we'd had plans for the weekend. She wouldn't suddenly cancel without a reason.

I shook my head as my concern started to grow again. Having finished prep, I slid the casserole dish into the oven and started the timer for 45 minutes. I'd made a full batch so if my girlfriend decided to show up, we'd have plenty to go around.

 _I hope she comes home._ Is this how she felt when Rachel went missing?

I poured myself a glass of wine and sat down on the couch to watch some random show Netflix suggested. Heh, watch. Really it was more like listen to the sounds while looking into my wineglass for answers. No, I didn't find them, answers that is, not in the wine anyway, but I tried anyway.

That's when my phone lit up and started dancing around on the desk.

* * *

**July 20, 2051 (Z + 43)**  
**Morning**  
**Day 209**

_Next Stop, Redmond Technology Center_

A pleasant female voice, recorded for the train, brought me back from my nap. Slowly I opened my eyes to see a bright sky and the midrise apartment complexes that had grown up around the upcoming train station. We were on the last fly-over before our descent back to ground level. On the other side, I could see the wall-to-wall parking lot that was the state highway. Even today, some people refused to use the transit that goes almost everywhere. I never did understand it, but I guess everyone has their own point of view. Mine, being practical, just wanted to get to the lab with the minimum of fuss. I could feel the train slow as we pulled up to the above-ground station that would let me off within easy walking distance. I rubbed my eyes to finish waking up, stood, and moved to the doors just as the vehicle stopped. The doors slid open and I stepped out onto the platform, looked around. and the headed to the pedestrian bridge that spanned the surface street, and the highway. After climbing the stairs of the three-story structure I made my way over the sea of stuck cars and trucks towards the old Microsoft Studios campus. As I reached the other side and walked down the circular pathway I was met by a familiar plaque that marked the entrance to the business complex.

Redmond Technology Center

Innovation and Enterprise

Donated in whole by Microsoft Corporation 2032

Every time I read that sign I couldn't help thinking about what kind of company would have so much money that they'd decide to donate their entire facilities and real estate to the City of Redmond. Microsoft had been gone from the region for almost twenty years now, a victim as it were, of some sneaky Seattle politicians that had convinced the government in Olympia to tax the crap out of the high-tech industry—because they were evil or some shit like that. Apparently, it had been more economical to bail on the state and donate five billion in land and buildings to the city rather than bend at the feet of the legislature. Canada had welcomed them, and a new headquarters had been set up just outside Vancouver, BC. _Hell, more power to them! Windows Infinity, or whatever the number they're up to, is amazing!_

That left a pile of buildings for Redmond City Hall to deal with and apparently my older self had come up with a shit load of cash to purchase the entire western campus. Where my she had gotten the funding was a bit of a mystery, one that I'd looked into; I didn't want someone to come barging into my lab demanding some sort of accountability. She'd played some games with time and carefully worked the stock markets to her advantage. In her notes she'd even mentioned that it was _for science_. I couldn't help but snicker a bit. Yeah… right.. " _for science._ " Shit, I would have probably done the same thing.

After a few moments, I reached my destination. The building, a rough stone and glass structure with 4 stories was in great condition considering it was over fifty years old, but with money comes the ability to maintain the premises. Its metal rain shield, that protected what I imagined to be thousands of employees, covered the sidewalks leading up to a pair of two-story tall glass doors. Gone were the days of having to wave a badge in front of a reader; all I need to do is have it on me. The doors slid open horizontally like a see-through hangar door and I entered the central atrium. The clear blue sky and morning sun beamed through the overhead skylights in the roof and lit the open room and the surrounding floors along the perimeter. Trees, plants, and other flora grew in various groups throughout the ground floor, making it an almost indoor forest or parkland rather than a research facility. Dotted here and there, clusters of comfortable furniture made up casual meeting spaces; each piece unique but manufactured from easily grown and sustainable woods and bamboo. The place even had a collection of butterflies, hummingbirds, and other small creatures, creating a carefully balanced ecosystem of its own. Slate pavers made paths that lead off to different areas of the building, wide enough to be easily navigated by someone in a wheelchair. Not for the first time, I wondered why my older self doesn't come here anymore.

_< Good morning, Doctor Price.>_

That was something I hadn't gotten used to, well, two things actually, maybe three if you include the budget. Heh! Firstly, I'm Doctor Price now, after all these years of blood, sweat, tears, and fucking time travel, I got my PhD. Hella fucking awesome. I spun with my arms out wide, looking upward to the blue sky above as it circled around.

"This is awesomesauce!"

I thought about how impossible the journey had been and my grin just kept getting bigger. That's when I was interrupted again.

_< You seem to be in a good mood today, Doctor Price.>_

Again, it was still surprising to hear that almost perfectly human voice come from all around you. But it wasn't human, though you would not know it by talking with her. Yeah, it was a female voice too, but imagine my shock the first time I show up here, and the fucking building starts having a conversation with you. I ain't lying when I say I almost shit my pants. Computer power had improved immensely during the gap of time I'd skipped. The machine-organic interfaces with tera-Qs of quantum processing produced an almost near perfect AI, one that I had dubbed _'Molly'_ the first day I arrived. She'd been expecting me.

"Morning, Molly." I said and I made my way down a path that followed a stream, yeah, there's a fucking creek in the building, how awesome is that? At its end, was a small yet well stocked kitchenette; a cup of coffee had just finished brewing as I arrived. _Everything here is automated… and it fucking rocks!_ I reached for the cup, breathed in the aroma, and took a healthy sip, letting the burning liquid stream down my throat. Hot as the sun, just like I like it; Starbucks never gets old.

Heading back, I found a couch next to a monitor, set my cup down on the side table, and tapped the screen, bringing it to life. Currently it displayed the weather, which looked good for a change, a little cool for this time of year, but otherwise sunny. I swiped away the screen to get to the desktop, leaned back and reclaimed my coffee.

"How'd it go last night, Mol?" It was still weird talking to someone with no one around, but this almost fully automated facility had a hidden wit, just like it's creator. "And how many times have I told you to stop calling me Doctor Price."

 _< Eight hundred and seventy-nine times, Doctor Price. Are you going to tell me again?_>

"What do you think?"

 _<_ _Eight hundred and eighty it is. Nice round number._ > There was an electronic noise that I associated with the machine's laughter. < _And to answer your first question, I got drunk, had sex, smoked some weed, and got thrown in jail. Helluva awesome night._ > More laughter.

_See? Almost human. Heh! Wonder who gave her this personality? Heh! Heh!_

_<_ _Oh, and right now I'm nursing a hangover the size of hmmm… let me think… Texas is what comes to mind. But through all that, I managed to compile a summary of the little experiment you were running._ >

"Awesome! Lay it on me. What we get?"

< _It seems, > _the computerized voice paused momentarily, then changed its tone just slightly, < ** _'Captain,'_** _that you get to keep your PhD for another day. The coordinates you postulated have been verified, and the range of error is nominal. I'd say well done, but then you'd do something silly like jump up in the air, pump your fists and use a number of expletives, and that would make my headache even worse. >_

I smirked broadly; Molly knew me too well by now. "Fuck yeah, I would." I jumped up in the air, pumped my fists in the air, danced around the couch, and then flopped back down across its length. "I love my job so goddam much!"

 _< Are you finished, sweetie?> _How a computer could inject sarcasm into a simulated voice was still beyond my grasp. Her voice was dripping with it.

"Yeah, what else?"

_< The signal to noise ratio is acceptable, though the window of opportunity is shrinking. I believe we can make the call successfully if we do it within the next thirty days, afterwards the stream will become unviable. I'll only be able to hold the channel open for about fifteen minutes once connected.>_

This bit of information took my enthusiasm to a whole new level. Sure thirty days was short, but I believed I could fix that anyway. The entire purpose of my experiment had been to figure out which time stream I had come from, contact Max, and get all our data to her. We had identified ninety-three possibilities. My knowledge of the dates and times from when I'd come, down to the hour, had reduced it to three possibilities, and last night's experiment seems to have confirmed one of them.

"What about stream alpha? Is it still there?"

_< Alpha remains stable. Based on my own calculations, the stream achieved stability on January 3rd, 2018. Its origin remains a mystery, but there's something else, something unexpected.>_

"Hit me with it." I was curious. We'd been tracking alpha for months.

_< Alpha received a signal a day earlier, prior to achieving stability. It was familiar, so I tracked it back. Apparently, it originated three years before reception. I stored it for you to read back if needed.>_

Okay, call me intrigued. How could a signal loop back on itself? Usually, at least the way we thought it would work, it was outbound only. The sender usually didn't receive their own signal. Another mystery to solve, I guess. But then it struck me. "Molly, what do you mean familiar?"

_< Indications are that someone in alpha is following your work, at least from their own perspective. The signal, for all intents and purposes, is yours, the one you theorized a year ago. I took the liberty of reviewing the papers you uploaded into storage. It matches the experiment you designed for your master's thesis; the one you never got around to trying out.>_

"Parallel development of theories?"

_< That seems to be the case. Would you like to review it?>_

This could be the breakthrough I needed, but first things first. "Include it all in the data dump. How long will it take to set up the call?"

_< Thirty-five days, three hours, and forty-two minutes, Doctor Price.>_

I sat up and let my jaw drop to the ground. "Thirty-five days??! You have got to be kidding me, you said we only had thirty!"

_< And three hours forty-two minutes, Doctor Price. And no, I don't kid. I'm a computer AI.>_

"Is there's no way to speed up things? We'll run out of time."

_< There is, but at the cost of lower SNR, Doctor Price.>_

"How much cost?"

 _< 20 percent, Doctor Price. It'll sound like you're talking on a…> _I noted another hint of sarcasm as well as humor in the modulated voice. <… Cell phone.>

Yeah, mobile phones had gone the way of the Dodo. Most everyone was connected over quantum links nowadays. "Hey, I grew up on cells. What the fuck, Mol?"

_< I presumed you'd want the best possible connection instead of the ancient system relics like yourself used to use. I can provide you with a connection, such as it will be, in five minutes.>_

I could almost hear the computer smirking at me. Hang on a sec… "Molly, you are a shit! You know that, don't you? Are you telling me that I can make a call, like right now, and it'll sound good enough to hear the other end?"

The voice switched once again to one I used to hear on TV commercials. _< Can you hear me now?> _Then it started giggling in a rarely used but extremely familiar tone, the voice of the person that had programmed it.

"God damn you, Rach!" I couldn't help but laugh as well. The machine had pulled one over on me. "What the actual hell?"

The tone remained that of Rachel and it brought back a number of memories, both pleasant and painful, but I was just happy that somewhere, Rachel had survived, even if she were much older than me now. < _Gotcha, sweetie! I thought adding a bit of wit to the AI would make your days more enjoyable. >_

"It's never boring, that's for sure. But you're still an ass!" The computer that ran this facility certainly did keep me on my toes, and surprises like having Rachel's personality on-board were just icing on the proverbial cake.

_< That I am. By the way, Molly says the connection is almost ready to go but there's another thing that needs to be discussed. She detected another signal.>_

"What kind of signal."

_< The same kind as The Boss™ tracked back in December. The one that brought you to this time stream.>_

"Holy shit! You mean she's back?"

_< "Not only is she back, Chloe. She seems to have landed in your stream on the day you left… and she brought a guest.">_

"Who is it?"

_< "Chloe, you know I have no way of telling. But there's definitely two distinct individuals. What do you want to do?">_

"Okay, okay. Shit, she saved my life. How the fuck do you repay someone for that?"

 _< "Fuck, babe. If I knew how to do that, I wouldn't be dead in every other time stream."> _Damn, she really did sound like the Rachel I lost so long ago.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to say _'noted_.' What else do you have?"

 _< "Right. Okay. Molly says the data has been prepped for transfer, so I guess it's time for me to let her get back to being herself, laters!> _There was an audible click that denoted the switch to the system's main persona, Molly. It wasn't necessary, but it made it easier for us humans to understand. _< The signal is locked and we can start the connection any time.>_

"Make the call."

The lights surrounding the atrium flickered as power was rerouted to the systems that would beam a signal across 6 dimensions. It took almost all the wattage of our generator banks, as well as the solar array on the roof, and I could feel the entire building shudder as the machinery did what I had designed them to do. It was a good thing Molly and her terminals were on a separate system altogether. Moments passed, then the background hum faded away as the conduit opened between here and MIT where the emitters were located. The monitor next to me blanked, and then automatically opened a series of windows that had numbers streaming faster than I could read. The red light at the top of it indicated the camera was in use, and in the center of the screen a program showed a rolling video containing nothing but static.

_< Connection coupled. Metrics within nominal ranges. Congratulations Chloe, you're making the universe's longest distance video call. Current local time on the receiving end is April 28, 2021.>_

While the video feed remained electronic noise, there was a loud squeal from the speakers, like you'd get when there's an audio feedback loop.

"Molly, clean that up, please."

_< Changing modulation, stand by.>_

Within a few seconds, the piercing sound faded and a woman's voice, so sweet it was like that of an angel, emanated from the speakers. I hadn't heard her voice for over two hundred days and it brought a hitch to my throat.

"Hello? Who is this? Hello?"

I forced myself to keep my cool, but it was the most difficult thing I'd done. My heart beat like a drum, virtually leaping out of my chest, and my palms became sweaty just by hearing her once again. "M… Max…"

"Chloe? Chloe?! Is that you? W… where are you? Is this some sort of joke?"

Oh my god, this was so hard. We've always been together, even when we're apart, but at the moment we were about as far away as possible. My joy exploded in tears that streamed down my cheeks. "Turn… turn on your video." The glob at the back of my throat made my voice sound like I'd taken up smoking again.

The static immediately cleared up, and there she was, sitting on our couch holding a glass of wine in one hand and presumably her cell phone in the other. Max had a concerned look on her face, but all I saw was my gorgeous, freckled brunette, the love of my life, and partner in both crime and time. My vision narrowed until the room, the trees, and even the couch on which I sat faded into the background. A blue butterfly took the opportunity to land on my knee as I leaned forward towards the video feed.

"Hey…"

"Chlo? What's going on? Why are you crying?"

"It's a long story, Maxi. Two hundred and nine days long. I've missed you so goddam much." I wanted to reach in and hug her, but it was just a monitor. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. "Just let me look at you for a sec, yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

That's my Max. She's always wanting to make sure everyone is fine. You couldn't find a more selfless person. "Like I said, it’s a really fucking long story." I collected myself and then proceeded. "What's the last thing you remember about tonight, I mean from your point of view?"

"Uhm, I was hanging out waiting for you to finish your lecture. You never came out. I even found Doc and he said I'd just missed you. What the fuck is going on, Chloe? I called your cell and texted you. Why didn't you answer me? When are you gonna get home? We were supposed to go to the coast tomorrow. And… why the hell is your hair red?!"

I could tell she was confused and the stream of questions beat at me; I started feeling guilty. I know this was none of my doing, but still, I had left her in the lurch. "It's a hella difficult to explain, so bear with me."

"Just tell me already." There was a bit of frustration creeping into her demeanor. Yeah, I deserve that, obviously she knew I was beating about the bush.

"I'm a long way away, First Mate. About as far as I can be, but I figured you'd want to know."

"Chlo, I'm getting worried. What aren't you saying?"

I gulped. I had to tell her; there was no way around it. We had to get through this before we could ever fix it in time. Plus, I could tell she knew I was stalling.

"Firstly, Max, I'm alright. I want you to know that. I've been working to figure it out, and the first moment I could, I called you."

"What do you mean? It's not like I didn't see you earlier today. I'm confused."

Go for it, Chloe. You've got to tell her. I sighed, and it was clear she understood my hesitation. Her features calmed and with that I literally felt the strength of her love beam back through the cosmos and the tenuous connection science had provided. "I got abducted, Maxi." I saw her perfect blue eyes go wide before I could continue. I took another breath. "Something happened, or would have happened, right after my conference. A very special person saved my life, but as a consequence, I ended up a long way away from you."

I could see my girlfriend leap up from her sitting position immediately. She'd obviously set her phone on the coffee table as the video showed her looming above me. "You were… abducted!" It wasn't a question. "What the hell? Do I need to call 911?"

"It wouldn't do any good, babe. I'm out of their reach."

"How the… where the fuck are you? Chloe Elizabeth Price, stop trying to protect me and spill!"

Middle-named. Yeah, I deserve that too. I took another breath to try to calm my racing pulse. "You know our work on The Plan™?"

"Yes. I do. What's this all about?"

"It's all true. The Plan™, timelines, everything. I'm not in our time stream anymore." I searched for the words to describe the situation. "I got displaced. I'm calling from 2051."

"20.." Max dropped away from the feed, probably collapsing on the couch. It was a lot to take in, I'm sure. I've had over two hundred days to get used to it. I waited until she changed the angle on her phone. "You're in the year 2051?" There were tears in her eyes.

"Yup, and I've been working to figure out a way to get back to you ever since. For you, it's only been a couple of hours. For me, it's been three and a half months.” I watched as her hand immediately covered her mouth, yet too slow to entirely stifle her shriek. I tried to calm her down. "I know it's a hella lot to process, honestly. And I'm sorry, I didn't get a choice in the matter."

It was at that moment Molly interjected. < _Doctor Price, the signal strength is decreasing. My estimate is that we have about ten minutes left. You need to tell her. Oh, and hello, Max. >_

I looked away from the screen as if conversing with someone outside the camera pickup. "Thanks, Mol. Begin data transfer."

_ <Transferring.> _

Max's shock turned to curiosity over the course of my small conversation with the computer. "Who… who's that? How does she know me?"

"Would you be surprised to find out that's my computer?"

 _ <I'm not anyone's computer, Ms. Price.> _ Whoops, looks like I touched a sensitive circuit, she didn't even use my title. Heh. One point to me. _< And yes, Ms. Caulfield, I know who you are. Chloe here has talked to me at length. My name is Molly, and I am an AI and custodian to the facility Ms. Price operates.>_

"Hi, I guess. So, it looks like thirty odd years has seen some… advances?"

_ <They have indeed, and with it, a ton more technologies have come about. The fact that we're communicating is one of them, oh, and of course our vaunted Doctor Chloe Price, super genius to guide all of us mere mortals.> _

Pride showed on my girl's face as she took in this new information. "Doctor? You did it?"

"I sure as shit did, Mathi-Maxica! Doctor! Yeah, fucking baby!"

_ <Here we go again.> _

I danced around in front of the camera and watched as my little nerd's grin stretch across her freckled complexion.

_ <Doctor Price, we have five minutes left. You need to finish this up.> _

"She said you needed to tell me something. What's going on, Chlo?"

"Okay, okay." I settled back down the couch. "Thing is, I think I can get back to you. But we're running out of time."

"Why? What's going to happen?"

"You know how The Plan™ describes timelines fizzling out?"

Max scrunched up her face for a moment before realizing what it would mean, her eyes went wide again and through the video we both stared into one another's perfect gaze. "Are you saying your timeline is going to dissolve? Oh my dog, Chloe! You have to get out of there!" She looked confused when I didn't react to her concern.

"No, Max. Not mine. This one has a long time left."

Silence filled the air, only a sound of insects and a couple of hummingbirds could be heard. The blue butterfly returned to land on the couch's arm rest.

"H… how long do I have?"

"Molly?"

 _ <Ms. Caulfield. Your timestream will break apart in just under thirty days from now.> _ The voice paused for effect and then continued. _< "Doctor Price, three minutes and thirty seconds.">_

Max turned white as a sheet and I could see her start to shake.

"But… Chlo… I don't want…"

I cut her off before she started to freak. "Max… hey, listen to me. You know I'd never want to lose my First Mate. I'm going to send you something. There's a stream, babe. A stable one, and we're going to stowaway—like we planned to save everyone else. Well, we were going to have to test it eventually, our timetable just got moved up a bit. Look, I've got data to send you with all you need. We're going to have to work together, but I think we can make it. You trust your Captain, yeah?"

"With everything I am, Chloe. Forever. Am I going to see you beforehand?"

_< Ms. Caulfield, I will be able to connect with your current time stream every seventy-two hours.>_

I could see her panic dissolve as my partner started kicking her mind into gear. "Ok, you're right. We've fucking got this. What do you need me to do?"

"First, I'm going to send you everything I've got. Molly has taken the liberty of formatting it to our legacy systems. Get to the lab, get started, and keep your cell phone with you. You'll be looking at data for a time stream labeled Alpha."

"What about you?"

"Molly and I need to get started on creating a special signal. We're going to send an S.O.S. to someone who has a vested interest in our wellbeing. She already saved my life once and I don't think she'd want that wasted. If we can't fix our own problem, she's gonna be Plan B."

_< Data transfer completed. Fifteen seconds until signal loss. Nice meeting you, Max. I'll let you two have some privacy.> _

"Thanks, Molly. Nice meeting you too." Molly muted her audio inputs with a quiet click. "So… we're gonna be okay, right Chlo?"

"You bet your sweet ass we are, babe."

"I'm scared. Please call me, I miss you so much."

"Every chance I get. Maxi, listen, before we go, I need you to do something for me.

"Anything."

It's for someone that both of us owe a lot to. She saved me, Max."

"Got it. What do I need to do?"

"Just go over to the restaurants over on 18th, across from the lecture hall. I'm sure they'll be hungry about now, your time that is. Just pay for someone named Destiny and be generous. That's it. It might be a couple of hundred bucks."

"It's a small _Price_ to pay."

"I see what you did there, dork. Will you do it?"

"Yup. I got it. Anything else, Chlo?"

"No… yes… I mean, fuck, Max… I just want to remind you that I'm nothing without my beautiful, dorky, sweet, and caring girlfriend. I love you with all my heart, and we'll get through this." I brought my finger to my lips, kissed it, and planted it on the screen. On the other end, I watched as my First Mate closed her eyes, imagining my long-distance kiss, and sighed.

"I love you too, Chloe. You're my everything. Talk to you in a couple of days."

"Take care, love."

"And you."

The connection ended and I was left staring at static. I sighed and stood up from the couch. Around me the plants swayed and small critters went about their business, but I couldn't tell. Everything was blurred by something in my eyes. _We're gonna get through this._

"Molly, put the results on the screen in my office. We've got a lot of work to do. And uh... is it too early for a drink?"

_ <Consider it done, Captain Price. And the beer is in the fridge. Shit, have one for me, too!> _


	13. The Abyss at World's Edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks! I really apologize for the lack of timely updates; this chapter was supposed to be released weeks ago. Life, it seems, sometimes gets in the way and even the best plans are forced to evolve. I hope you enjoy this new segment. As usual, if you have any questions or additional words, please do not hesitate.  
>   
> Thanks go to [ClarX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx), and [Aspect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspect11) for the beta help. Sorry for dumping a bunch of work on you this time :) .
> 
> And finally, a special shout-out to Santa Cruz, Eschi, Rain, Adder, and the rest of the author's I've had the pleasure of meeting on Discord. You all keep my motivation and spirits up!
> 
> Stay tuned, more chapters are in the pipe!

**May 1, 2021 (Z + 13)**  
**Afternoon**  
**T – 27 days and counting**

It had been a shock when Chloe called what had to have been the most expensive Facetime conference of all time, and probably space too. She'd told me that we were on a tight schedule with only 30 days to figure out how to jump ship across multiple dimensions and invade a friendly vessel. Talk about stress! It had taken me a full day of just staring at my feet, at least I think it was my feet before the shock of the whole situation had worn off. I kept repeating in my head a mantra of positive thoughts:

_We're gonna be okay._

_We got this._

_It's me and Chloe fucking Price, pirates of the bay. Nothing will defeat us._

It made me feel better that today was the first time since I'd started on my end of the project that Chloe would be contacting me; it would always have to come from her end because the tech we had now wasn't capable. I just hope she calls soon. I'm not lying when I say that I'm feeling a little panicky right now. I repeated the phrases once again and, as usual, the memory of my now redheaded beauty brought a sense of calm to my heart, mind, and soul. We'll get through this or die trying; hopefully the former.

I wasn't sitting still while I stressed about her call. Nope, this nerd is on the case, now. Not going to waste time if I can help it. The data I'd been sent was indeed formatted exactly as our systems needed. I wasn't surprised really, we'd built the processors and machine learning code ourselves with the help of a couple of interns we'd employed from The Garage™, the university's hackathon group that specialized in literally creating something from just an idea. As far and we knew, no compute and storage facility were more unique in their parallel processing potential; we'd even added some of the most advanced multi-quibit nodes to the overall solution. The coolest part is that the group which helped us out only asked to be paid in beer, which Chloe had zero problem accommodating.

 _God she's brilliant, and there's so much of the old punk in her._ I let my mind wander a bit as I recalled her now red hair. While I still preferred her oh so sexy blue, the red was super-hot too. I know the sigh that I let out was audible to probably everyone in the library, which is where I am right now, but I really don't give a shit. She's my girlfriend after all, and I know I'm happier than anyone here, even considering I only have twenty-seven days to solve our little problem.

The problem, yeah, that's a toughie. When I first learned of my impending doom, all of ours actually, the only thought that entered my mind was whether I'd be able to hold my Captain once more before oblivion took me away from her forever. My mind started down a dark path again until I mentally interrupted it. _No! Don't think that way! It's not productive and we can figure this out._

My reality was collapsing, that was a fact and nothing we could do would stop it; it's just the way it is. Sure it brought to mind a number of considerations regarding what our existence really is, I mean if you think about it, actuality shouldn't just collapse for no reason. That would be a huge waste of energy, and there's one thing I knew for certain: Nature abhorred wasting its resources. So, given those two facts I had launched into a study of the theories of greater minds than my own. Einstein, Fermi, Casimir, Heisenberg, Hawking, the list went even as far back as Newton, Archimedes, and even Dante for his visionary thinking regarding the afterlife. Each brought me new insight towards the topic of the month:

_What is real?_

Real…. if it is what you can touch, or smell, or see, real is just electo-neuro signals that are sent to the computer that is a persons' brain. It's job it is to sort out impulses into some manner that is understandable and survivable, all while keeping its host from going bonkers. Yeah, I know. I just paraphrased a number of different quotes from The Matrix and Red Dwarf, but at least that helps me get a grip on the enormity of the situation while still keeping my mood light.

Anyhow, I seem to have figured out a couple of things thanks to the data dump my Chloe sent me. Firstly, my time stream is collapsing because it's missing something, or more specifically, it seems to be a part of a bigger… uhm… what's the right word? _Construct_. That'll do. This existence seems to be a piece to a puzzle, and I have no idea what the end result is supposed to look like. And because it's not whole, it is not self-sustaining, which seems to fit in Einstein and Hawking's most recent theories of unified relativity. Secondly, my beautiful, sciencey nerd seems to have confirmed her information theory with respect to effecting reality, all by her red-headed self; otherwise we would not have been able to have our previous conversation without severe changes to both time streams. Finally, while I could only wish for the computational capabilities she has in 2051, I think I have enough, again based on her notes about the signal they intercepted, to attempt a carrier wave to Alpha. I just need for the team in Cambridge to finish the emitters, which should be in about a week.

Weeks, days… yeah, they are counting down. But I've gotten a lot done in the first few. I repeat it in my mind once again.

_We. Got. This._

I type a couple more notes into my laptop, then close the book on singularities I've been brushing up on a couple of moments before my phone starts to buzz. That's my alarm telling me I need to get back to the lab, my home away from home these last days. After stacking the dozen or so books neatly and packing everything else back into my bag, I head out of the library, giving the young man that's occupying the front desk a quick nod and wave. Outside the large double doors is a bright, cloudless spring afternoon, the sun making crazy reflections off the geodesic panels of Seattle's main library. After letting my eyes adjust a bit, I head north along the sidewalks towards the shopping district where I can catch the train back to the university. With a light breeze, and mild temperatures, the walk is rather invigorating, and heck, it's only five blocks. Maybe I'll pick up a Starbucks at Westlake or something.

I make my way along the sidewalks keeping pace with the flow of others. It's not a crowded day today, even if it is a weekend, probably because there's some sports thing going on in the other direction. Doesn't matter to me, I like walking along the base of the various tall buildings because my old photographer's eye catches cool lighting and contrasts created by the random shadows. It's peaceful and helps me relax.

After a twenty-minute walk and a detour into 'Bucks, I make my way down into the depths of the Seattle transit tunnel and wait the few minutes for the light rail to arrive. Even down here, which is usually bustling with people, the atmosphere seems reserved, unhurried, and more quiet than typical. Echoes from down the tracks indicate the train is approaching, and when I glance into the tunnel on my left, I can see a glow starting to form. A few moments later, the front of the sleek blue and white four car train passes me, comes to a smooth stop, and opens its doors. I side-step one pace to allow the passengers to disembark, and then enter. The train car is about half full, so it's no problem finding a seat in the back, which is my preferred location. With a small tone, the automatic doors close and the station starts falling away behind me until we enter the other end of the tunnel and all goes dark except for evenly spaced lights that blur past as we accelerate. Once I settle myself, I fish out my laptop and get engrossed in reordering the data I'd gotten from the library.

The train ride will take about fifteen minutes to snake its way underneath the city. The first stop is Capitol Hill, but I remain seated, preferring to continue reviewing my notes. I've taken this trip so many times that I know the exact sound, feel, and lighting changes that occur as we approach each station. I don't even need to listen to the automatic announcements, every stop is unique. The train smoothly comes to a crawl, the doors open, and passengers depart or enter, while I continue looking at my screen.

A familiar, upbeat voice interrupts my thoughts. "Is this seat taken?"

I look up from my work, and see a young woman dressed in jean shorts, a black tee shirt with what looks like stylized words in a different language across her chest. A multitude of thin necklaces are around her neck, one of which just a thin cord tied to a small, smooth jade pendant. Her long, pale legs are booted, as usual. The girl's blue eyes glint mischief which is enhanced with single thin eyebrow cocked upward and a knowing smirk.

"Charlie! How are you?" I gesture to the seat next to me. "Oh my dog! I love what you've done with your hair!" It was true, too. While her hair was in its no-nonsense ponytail, she'd gone completely blonde. It must have been done recently too, as I couldn't see any hint of her normally light brown hair.

"Thanks, Max. It is pretty badass, and it turned out so much better than I expected. You're looking good yourself. Heading to school?"

"Yeah. I have to get back to the lab, I'm expecting a call."

"Sweet. I'm heading there myself."

Charlie was a third-year student at UW School of Engineering and a whiz at building stuff. We had met a few years ago when I popped into her dad's camera store just a few blocks away from Chloe and my apartment. She'd been a high schooler back then and while she and her father lived on the Eastside, she helped out at the shop on the weekends. Even though I never became a professional photographer, thanks to my girlfriend's influence, I had kept up with all the techniques and it is still my favorite hobby.

We, Charlie and I, struck up a conversation about different lens systems and I remember being impressed by her knowledge. Heh, I remember when Chloe had walked in after twenty minutes had gone by and I'd left her waiting outside. Charlie couldn't take her eyes off the blue hair; hell, I couldn't either if I'm being honest. The three of us quickly formed a friendship that grew as the young lady had entered college. She even helps out in the lab, and both my girlfriend and I return the favor by answering questions about homework and her studies.

"How's Chloe? I haven't seen her around the last couple of days." I could see her curiosity almost bursting out; she reminded me of myself. "I bet she's got a pile of work considering she's so close to defending her thesis."

"That's who I'm expecting a call from. She's…" I thought about it for a couple of seconds. "She's out of town right now."

"Field work?"

"You could say that. It has to do with an experiment we're running."

"Sweet!" Charlie was always enthusiastic about the different things we were doing in the lab, a space the university had graciously loaned out to Chloe to pursue her degree. "Are you still workingn your emitter design?"

"The design you had a hand in, Charlene." I snickered a bit when my friend grimaced at the use of her full name.

"Maaaaaax, you know I can't stand it when you call me that. It's so… old fashioned." She lightly poked my ribs with an elbow. Normally that kind of behavior I'd only tolerate from my pirate Captain, as even now I am still very much an introvert. However, it's nice to have a friend right now given the gap in time and space that's between us. Plus, I know Charlie looks to Chloe and myself as her mentors given the age gap.

"Then give yourself some credit. This is the twenty-first century, and you get to be proud of your accomplishments. The design changes you made boosted the efficiency ten times. Anyway, I sent the finished design off to MIT a couple of days ago. The team over there says they'll have it done sometime early next week."

The younger woman's eyes went wide, and I could see she was anticipating something more. "And… ?"

I let her excitement build a bit more. "We submitted your changes to the legal department. We're all now officially patent pending."

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" She bounced in her seat and hugged me tightly. "I can't wait to tell Dad!"

It pleases me to no end to see a young woman such as Charlie succeed. It should be a huge boost to her self-confidence, something I remember myself needing years ago. I let my mind wander back to that fateful day and the phone call that reconnected me with my soulmate. I let it linger a bit, enjoying the feeling of completion, and how the event had changed my future for the better. Hopefully, today's milestone will be a turning point for Charlie, even if we have a long way to go. "Yup, there are years of regulations and searches to go through, but it's our invention."

"So that means you're headed to Cambridge?"

"No, things have come up and I'm letting the guys over there handle the nuts and bolts, though I do wish one of us was present. Fancy a trip to the east coast?"

"A… are you kidding me? I… do you think Dad would let me? What about the rest of the semester? Finals are coming up."

She placed both hands over her mouth, but it was obvious what her answer really is, and frankly, it's adorable. I reach into my pack. Honestly, I'd planned on doing this later in the day, but my pale friend was like a kid in a candy shop, and I didn't want to kill the mood. "I already cleared it with your Dad, though it's not like I really needed to, you know. You're an adult, Charlie. You get to make your own decisions."

"B… but I'm not even twenty-one yet. And I've never been out of the state before, much less clear across the country."

I hand her what I'd been fishing for, an envelope containing a couple of documents. Plane tickets, itinerary, and a credit card. "You just need to talk with your professors. This is a research trip, and I'm sure Doctor Hobkins will count it as your final." I'd had DocHob, as he liked to be called, for my E & M class during my undergrad studies. It was the one course I knew my friend was worried the most about. "Just drop by his office, he's always delighted to see his students engage with him."

"Alright… yeah. I can do this. But damn, Max! Way to make my day. Shit, a patent, and a trip across the country." She opens the envelope before continuing. "Fuck! These are first class tickets!"

"Chloe's research grant allows for it. Might as well use it, yeah?"

"Okay, I'm in!"

"Nice! And don't worry, it'll be a great experience! May even change your life."

_< University of Washington station. Please exit on the left>_

I felt the train slow as it entered the brightly lit stop, but both of us remain seated unlike the other passengers, who bunch up near the doors. Eventually, the throng exit, and we follow behind and make our way to the surface, emerging across the street from Husky Stadium. Good thing it isn't football season, or this place would be hella crowded.

"What's so funny?"

"Chloe, that's who. She's got me using her own terminology. Hella, awesomesauce, and stuff like that."

"You guys are so cute together. How long has it been?"

"All our lives, it seems, but you know the story. Max and Chloe forever."

"Yup, and don't let anyone fucking tell you otherwise."

She was making small talk, and I couldn't figure out why. She'd never done this in the past; Charlie is usually quiet and contemplative. We walk side-by-side down the sidewalk, heading towards the research center and for a number of blocks she doesn't say a word, so I try to break the lull. "You gonna go see DocHob now, or after we visit the lab?"

"He's on the way. I, uh… you mind hanging with me? I'm not gonna lie when I say it'll be easier if he sees you with me."

"Char, Doc is a pushover, you just need to know how to handle him. Just march your ass in there like you know what you're doing. Project confidence."

"You should talk. You've told me time and time again how…" I could see she was trying to find the right word so as to not insult me. "… how timid you were at my age."

"It's true. But I got a huge boost of confidence by a certain blue-headed punk. I couldn't say no to her."

"Yeah… I…"

I look over and her mood is all changed. I could see she's thinking of something and that it's hard to get it out. "Hey, what's going on? You okay?" She's my friend and one thing I learned a long time ago is that friends help each other. "Was it something I said?"

"I… I'm just so unsure of myself. I mean, I look at you and see someone strong, decisive, and I know you said you've been through the same kinda thing… and that Chloe…" My friend's shoulders slump and as we continue down the street she's more looking at her feet than myself, or what's in front of her. "… And I know I shouldn't be, because you're both my friends."

"Are you… jealous, Charlie? You can be honest with me. No judgements."

She stops and leans on the retaining wall along the route, sighs, then looks at me. While my friend isn't crying, not yet, I can see that her blue eyes are ready to open the floodgates any second; I've never seen her mood swing so quickly. "Max, I'm…" She did a thing that was so familiar, grabbing one arm around her front with the other. "… I'm lonely. I see how Chloe and you lift each other up, how so in love you are with each other… I've… been so wrapped up in school…"

And there it was, the root of her problem. My friend didn't have anyone in the same manner that I had with my partner-in-time. I didn't know how to break it to her, though, that it wouldn't matter. We only have a little less than a month to go and there isn't anything I can do to stop it. _This is messed up, badly._

"I know…"

Shit, I must have said that out loud. "Huh? No… no, not you. Uhm… I was thinking of something else." Damn it! That could be taken wrongly. I tried to explain. "Look, I of all people know how it feels. I spent five years away from her before she took a chance and called me. If she hadn't, I don't know where we would have ended up." I leaned on the wall next to her, lending her some support, and we both remained that way, watching as cars and other pedestrians passed by.

Finally after what felt like half an hour, my friend lifted her head and wiped her cheeks dry. "God, I'm a wreck! Sorry, Max. Should we get moving?" Charlie wasn't cheered up, but at least she was trying to get past her emotions. I just wish there was something I could do for her.

I drew near and bumped her with my shoulder and a small smile appeared on her pale face. "Don't worry about it. Happens to the best of us. Still wanna go talk to the doc first?"

"Nah… not in the mood right now. I need something technical to drown my sorrows. I'll feel better if I get something done."

Standing upright, we start heading along the roadside once again. "You always have been very focused."

"I guess that's part of my problem. All my energy is spent on work, studies, and shit like that; no time for anything else." She shrugs her shoulders in a kinda abject acceptance.

My phone pinged just then, so I reached into my pocket to find I had a message from the team at MIT. They were ahead of schedule, which was nicely convenient.

"Well that's good news." I told her. "The guys back East have already set up the first elements and are sending calibration records. Let's go, it'll do you some good to concentrate on it, plus I'm sure it's gonna show how good your design is in the first place."

We continued walking up the busy street until we came upon an older brick building set back from a fence made up of meticulously trimmed bushes taller than either of us. Between the gap, we walked along a smooth sidewalk with in-laid LED lighting. If one didn't know any better, they'd swear this was just some old house, and when I first arrived here with Chloe and had our lab space leased to us by the science department, that was indeed what I'd thought. Then again, corporate, and academic espionage was a real thing. Why advertise with a great big sign? ' _Look! Lab here! Expensive equipment and information for the taking!_ ' At the entrance we swiped our badges, and after a quiet buzz that denoted the lock disengaging, walked in through the heavy white wooden door.

"Afternoon, Max. Hi Charlie." Dan, the head of security for the building, greeted us with a nod. "You headed down or are you expecting another delivery?"

"Nah, no gear this time, Dan. We've got all we can handle after the last couple of days. Got a call coming in and the other team is already set for phase one trials."

"Awesome." Even though he was a security guard, I happened to know that Dan had at least two master's degrees in engineering and chemistry and knew about as much about the lab's goings-on as Charlie did. Again, it was to ensure the safety of the site, and the students and faculty that worked here and protect against companies and even nations that would try to steal the information our evolving experiments produced. "If you need anything, just ring me."

"Thanks, Dan. See ya." We turned and walked down a short hallway lined with white doors that contrasted well with the dark, old-school mahogany paneling and millwork. Each of the entryways had a number, but no other identifying mark. At the end, another door opened to reveal an elevator which took us to the basement, sub-level three which was Chloe's and my own home-away-from-home. After the brief trip, the doors parted to reveal another short hallway in stark, brightly lit white. A pair of doors on one side were shower and restroom facilities while opposite them was an open archway that leads to a small kitchenette. When I said home, it's pretty much the literal truth, the Captain and I spend a ton of time here; there's even a small bedroom with sleeping accommodations big enough for the both of us. At the far end are a pair of glass sliding doors that are coded for the card keys we all carry. As we approached, I could hear the small beep that meant our access had been granted and the doors parted.

The lab, by now, is nothing spectacular like you'd see in the movies. It had about a dozen benches upon which set various computers, screens, and various equipment that helped us continue experimenting on the theories and discoveries The Plan™ described. Most of the heavy stuff was way across the country at MIT where they had room to spare for high-energy apparatus and containment. They even had their own personal nuke that provided an absurd amount of electricity and radioactive isotopes used in some of the experiments. It worked out, too. Most of our experiments were done remotely and considering how we had pushed into signal and information theory, the emitters and sensors needed to be where there was local power. At the far end of the rectangular room is a set of three monitor-less workstations set back from, and facing the back wall which had a bright, reflective color you'd see on movie screens. My desk is on the right, Chloe's the middle, and an auxiliary one on the left which Charlie or another assistant could use.

My phone buzzed in my pocket a familiar pattern that told me that the anticipated call would only be a couple of minutes away. I tapped on the keyboard, and a section of the wall lit up as a projector overhead displayed my computer's desktop. Charlie sat down and activated her own, which also showed up on the wall, and as she sped up her typing, additional windows, and email quickly covered her screen. One of the nice things about the whole arrangement is that collaboration is easy because we can see each other's screens without having to move between stations. I giggled a bit as my friend arranged and rearranged windows in what looked like a haphazard fashion, it reminded me of my girlfriend who's computer was as equally cluttered; mine, on the other hand was neat and tidy, featuring a picture of me and Chloe in this very lab the first day we arrived here.

My blonde friend stopped opening additional messages and I saw she was intently focused on one specific email from Gerald, our co-researcher at MIT. A few moments passed and I can see her eyes getting bigger every second and a kind of nervous energy makes her start bouncing in her chair. I have a couple of minutes, so I just watch on as a grin slowly covers her face from ear to ear. I knew this would cheer her up.

"They sent a test signal with my new emitter. It… it worked! The carrier ramped up just like we thought and the changes I made helped lock onto the coordinates you suggested with a hundredth of the power draw!" She looked back at the screen and I could see she was reading more of the technical details.

"You ever doubted it? Come on, it's a brilliant design." I loved seeing my friends happy and excited.

"Well… yeah… I did. I mean, I'm only a third-year undergrad. Confidence is not my greatest trait."

"How about now?"

She bounced in her chair excitedly and repeated her previous. "Oh my God! It works! It works! We did it!"

"You did it, Charlie, remember that. This is your invention. Chloe and I just had the theory. Like they say, scientists essentially just sit around and think about stuff, but it's the engineers that are the real creators. You took our theories and made it happen and you deserve all the credit." I looked at her screen to see a final unread message, this one from the US Patent Office. "You might want to open that last one. It may be important."

My friend clicked a few more keys which opened the indicated note, read it, and I again giggled as her jaw dropped to the floor. "I… uh…" She took a breath and I just smiled as she tried to gather herself. "Holy fuck!!!! I'm Patent Pending!!! This is real!"

I just laughed as she bounced around whooping and being an all-around crazy teen, and that's when my own system pinged loudly, displaying a notification on my side of the wall. I tapped a key to open the pop-up message:

I see you, Maxi-Mate!

It could only be one person! My heart thumped in my chest and my palms got all sweaty with anticipation of seeing My Chloe. It's only been three days, but it feels like a lifetime when we're apart. We've said it hundreds of times that we'll always be together, but the distance in this case was insurmountable… almost. We planned to fix that.

"Who's that from, Max? Wait… is it Chloe?" Her expression showed even more excitement, and I knew she wanted to tell my partner-in-time the good news herself.

"Yup, that's her! She's always trying to find a new and different way to surprise me. Honestly, I didn't expect her call for another couple of hours."

"Can I tell her? Pleassse?"

"Of course you can, Charlie. It's your news to tell!" I could see her body shake with eagerness to tell Chloe about our most recent accomplishments. She was like a little kid that had just got the " _in_ " thing for Christmas. A few more clicks and the camera attached to the wall came to life, swiveled a couple of times, and then settled in our general direction. My display switched to a rolling, noise-filled pattern that slowly coalesced into my perfect match smiling back at me. For a second there I had to hold on to the desk as my legs almost gave out. There she was! My eyes filled with joyful tears.

"Chloe! Oh my… I…"

Even from across an absurdly large gap in space and time, her voice was still perfectly recognizable as if she were standing right beside me. "Dude, are you crying?" I watch as she turns aside, a bit out of her camera's range. I hear a little sniffle, but I get it, she wants to keep her street cred. That's my girlfriend for you, acts all tough and invincible, but in reality she's a huge goop and always has been.

I, on the other hand, don't mind admitting it as long as it has to do with my girlfriend. "Yes, Chlo. I'm crying, and before you say anything, I know it's only been a couple of days. But the apartment is still empty without you."

"Just the apartment?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Any particular place in the apartment that is especially empty, hmmm?"

I knew exactly what she was saying, and I could feel my face turn beet red. "Chloe!" I could hear a small giggle to my side as our mutual friend listened in to our banter. On the wall, Chloe turned slightly and the camera rotated a bit.

"Heya, Charlie! Haven't seen you in deca… ages! How you doing?"

I could see that my young assistant didn't miss my redhead's stumble over her choice of words. The expression on her face showed the far-off look of someone with a brilliant and quick mind, the gears of which beginning to analyze the slip-up. Apparently, she decided to let it go because very soon the puppy-dog excitement over her recent accomplishments bubbled back into the forefront.

"You'll never believe what happened, Chloe. I got it to work! You know, the emitter? It honest-to-god fuckin works! Just like it was supposed to!"

"That's fantastic, dude! Shit! Lemme check something for a second." I watched as she vanished from the screen, leaving only the comfortable surroundings of the lush, park-like atrium on the screen. A hummingbird apparently took the time to investigate the camera feed while we were waiting; a blink and it was gone as quickly as my Captain. In the background I could hear Chloe talking, presumably to Molly and then a few moments later she was back in a blur, throwing herself on the couch fast enough that she rebounded and dropped off the bottom of the screen. _Always going a little faster than necessary._ I giggled as she picked herself up and properly sat in front of the feed again.

"Holy shit, Charlie! You did it! Molly says it's a complete lock, directly on target! You guys over there are amazing…"

The undergrad smiled broadly. "Well, I couldn't have done any of this without you and Max."

In her enthusiasm, Chloe continued speaking. "… this puts us way ahead of schedule!" She always got this way when she was excited. "Molly says the signal is really clean, but to achieve our goals is going to require constant monitoring by someone familiar with…"

 _Oh shit!_ My mind clicked and I could see where her train of thought was headed. Damnit, Charlie is right here, and I haven't had the time to give her the bigger picture. This is not the way I had planned it, so I tried to interrupt my rambling girlfriend.Uhm, Chloe?" She kept talking.

"…but otherwise, if you leave the carrier on, we can proceed and get…"

"Chloe, stop." My heart raced.

"… you out of there before…"

I put both hands to my temples. "CHLOE!!"

The very remote scientist's face went stark white and she abruptly clamped both hands over her perfect mouth. Moments later I watched as her eyes went wide and along with the mimicking camera she glanced back and forth between myself and Charlie. Hands still muffling her voice, I saw her chin move and it was noticeably clear she had no problem with this choice of words. Apparently, the microphone on the other end was plenty sensitive.

"FUUUUCK!"

Afterwards, it was like someone pressed the mute button on the universe. Very slowly Chloe slid her hands away so she could speak clearly. "Max?"

I abruptly held up my hand, demanding that she be quiet. I breathed a bit and let my heart settle down.

_I love my dorky, science-punk with all my heart, even in times like this. But that doesn't mean sometimes I don't wish she'd have more of an inner monologue. How can she be so perfect in every way, and not guess that what she was about to say would be equivalent to predicting someone's death? And that specific person was standing right next to me. Huge mental sigh!_

"…Max? Babe?"

I reemphasized my intensions by holding up a single pointer finger. I needed a minute.

"Okay… sorry." Her voice was contrite, and I knew she realized what a predicament she'd placed me in. The camera continued pivoting between myself and the student to my left.

I took a big breath, let it out slowly, looked up and addressed the girl whose assistance made possible what Chloe and I would be attempting. "Charlie…"

"What's going on, Max? What did she mean by ' _get you out of there?_ '" She had a confused look on her face and her arms wrapped protectively around herself, still holding onto the clipboard upon which she'd been making notes. I could see her eyes dart between myself and the screen, and then all around the lab, finally to settle on a glance at the scribbles she'd made. She really was as brilliant as either Chloe or I, and I watched as her eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Finally after what felt like a year, the younger girl turned back to her computer, tapped a few keys, and brought up a screen full of equations. She moved around the desk and approached the diagrams and pointed to a very specific segment of the math while staring me straight in the eye. There was anger in her young face, but also a fierce determination to learn the truth that made her ocean-blue eyes glow. _Curious how all the people I care about have blue eyes._

With all my focus on Charlie, I failed to see my girlfriend turn to her own computer, split the feed, and bring up the exact variables the student was pointing to. Quietly she broke her silence. "I fucked up, Max. What do we do?"

Just as I started to reply, my upset assistant cut me off. "This part…" She was again pointing to the math on the screen. Her voice was stern, like a teacher reprimanding a kid. "…it's the only part I didn't understand. We built it into the emitter, and now it starts to make sense."

I hung my head.

"It's not just a test sequence. What is it?"

My heart was going a million beats per second, but each woman had asked a question with the same answer. I waited for another million beats before addressing them both. "The truth."

"Maxi, hey… I got you into this, do you want me to…"

"No, Chlo. It's fine. It needs to be said personally, and I'm the one on the front-lines."

"Sorry…"

"I know you are, babe. Just sometimes please stop and think. Let me talk to Charlie for a bit. Do you mind?"

"Sure. I'm gonna go bang my head against a wall for a bit." And with that, my perfect match got up and left the view of the camera.

I grabbed the back of my chair and rolled it over to Charlie's station, then sat down, and patted her chair. "I'm sure you have questions. I'll tell you everything I know, truthfully. Come sit down and let's talk."

Slowly, my blonde friend approached, her arms still wrapped around her with a look in her eyes that said she felt betrayed. It broke my heart because we'd been friends for so long and throughout neither Chloe nor I realized what the impact would be should someone figure out what we were doing.

"Firstly, I want you to know that we never meant to hurt you. But that's what happened, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry. You're like a sister to us, and it was never our intention to cause you pain."

"So, it's true. It's not a test?"

"No it isn't." _This is gonna suck, but she deserves honesty._

"Then what is it?"

"It is coordinates for a destination in space… and time."

"Ok. What's there?" Wow, her mind locked onto it as if it weren't just a sci-fi thriller some dork had written for a laugh. I saw her relax a bit; she obviously grasped the big picture a bit better than I expected.

"Apparently, it is a place that already sent a signal just as we did."

"How can that be? I, er… we just invented it. We just did our first test."

"I, uhm… the best guess is parallel evolution of theories."

"Max, in all the years that I've known you, guesses have never been your thing."

She brought her hand up to her opposite elbow, body language I was completely familiar with myself. Shit! So much for softening the blow, I needed to tell her about The Plan™.

She continued before I could speak. "And another thing. What's this about getting you out of here? Before what? What's gonna happen."

Goddamn she's quick. "Look, it's a really long story, Charlie."

"I thought you were my friend, Max. I looked up to you and Chloe!"

"Okay… okay. We're friends, and we are going to get through this. But like I said, it's a long story."

I could see she was holding back her anger, but her voice was very direct. "We appear to have plenty of time right now, and we're all alone." She gestured around the room. "Tell me what's going on!"

"See, that's the thing, Charlie." The voice was from the speakers. I hadn't seen Chloe return on the screen, and she looked like she'd been crying. "We don't." I saw her gulp. Guilt covered her face, but she was determined to take the hit on this one. "We're running out of time."

"How can that be?"

"Okay, I'll just say it. The space-time, what we refer to as a time stream in which you, Max, and everyone else exists will dissolve in a little less than 27 days from now."

More silence filled the room.

Charlie cleared her throat. "And this is the earliest you could tell anyone?"

We both replied at the same time.

"Yes"

"No"

_Fuck! This isn't going well at all._

Charlie rounded back on me, frustration more than anger in her eyes, but even that could have burned holes through the walls if she'd wanted to. "Which is it, Max? Tell me the truth!"

"It's actually a little of both. No, we've known about the possibility for a long time. But yes, this is the first we've ever been able to prove it. Without proof, which you helped us get by the way, no one would have believed a word of it, even if the _Fucking Math™_ works out, which it does."

The young woman seemed to calm a bit as her mind went through the logic, then she turned to the screen. "Chloe, you said something about getting Max out of there, uhm, here."

"Yeah…"

"But what about you? Why get Max out of here without yourse…" Her voice trailed off as she seemed to leap to a new conclusion. Her hands went to her mouth but they couldn't mute the volume. "OH MY GOD! YOU'RE ALREADY GONE!" Then she collapsed on her desk, burying her head in her arms.

I put my hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her the best I could. I remember learning about all this shit myself, but I had someone she doesn't, my pirate Captain, partner-in-time, and love of my life. Charlie, on the other hand, didn't have many friends, except me and Chloe. And we'd let her down. Big time.

"Hey…" I tried being calm, and soothing.

"Fuck you!"

From the speaker, "Charlie, I'm so…"

"You too! Both of you can go to hell! How could you? I…" Deep gasping sobs could be heard clear around the room. I stayed there and took it and I would remain here for her however long it took.

_< Doctor Price, Max, the signal is starting to degrade. We can only maintain it for another ten minutes.>_

"Thanks Molly," I said while still sitting with my despondent friend. "I've got data to send you from our side." I reached over to Charlie's keyboard and pressed a couple of buttons to initiate the transfer. It had all the results from the signal source, our emitter, and our current theories. I received a packet of their results in return which I'd have to review.

_< Data received, Max. I will analyze this and get back to you on our next meeting. And, might I add, it's a pleasure to meet you Charlie. Doctor Price and Max have always spoken highly of you.>_

From the desk, a tear streaked face looked to the screen. In a broken, phlegmy voice, Charlie returned the greeting. "Uhm… Pleased to meet you too, I guess. Not that it matters much."

_< Actually, Ms. Petersen, it matters more than you realize. But maybe that's a discussion for another time.>_

"You… you said your name was Molly? Who are you?"

_< I am not a person, but as the Turing Test has shown, it's difficult to discern. I am a computer AI and I run the facilities that Doctor Price uses to further her research.>_

"But we don't have AI like you. What is this, some sort of government thing?"

_< No, you don't have AI like me, no one does, and I'm not part of any government project. I'm speaking to you from the year 2051, as is Doctor Price.>_

"2051? But how is that possible? Is this just a joke?"

_< While I may be rough around the edges no, Charlie, I don't joke, at least not about serious things like this. It is indeed 2051 and Doctor Price has been here for two hundred and eleven days working to figure these things out. She even gets it right sometimes. See? That was a joke.>_

"I have so many questions."

I gripped her shoulder to let her know that I was still her friend, even if I had betrayed her. "And I can answer them for you, but it’s a story that'll take longer than the time we have left with today's call."

"How can I trust you, Max? You're gonna bail and leave me and everyone else to die."

I was trying to form an answer that wouldn't just sound like platitudes, but Molly interrupted.

_< Max, the connection is ending. I presume you'd like to make kissy faces at Doctor Price before it does. Again, a pleasure to meet you Charlie. Don't worry, these two will figure things out.>_

I smiled a bit. Yeah, I certainly want to make kissy faces at my girlfriend. I don't care who's watching. I stood up and approached the screen, which scaled to make an almost perfectly sized image. I lifted my hand and placed in on the wall and the projection merged around my fingertips as she did the same. I could almost imagine the cold concrete being warmed by her presence. I closed my eyes and let the image and feeling flow through my mind. "Chlo, I miss you so much. This long-distance shit is killing me. We're all gonna get through this, right? Please tell me we will. If you say it, I know you'll make it happen."

"Babe, you have my word that I won't stop until I find a solution. We're close, I can feel it. I love you, dork. With all my heart and soul. Take …"

_< static>_

The projector shuts off and I sink to the floor with my knees automatically folded to my chest. I automatically wrap my arms around my legs and let my head drop. Tears soak my jeans. _We have to fix this._

A few minutes of silence passed, and then I felt another pair of arms wrap around me.

"Max, I'm sorry I blew up at you and Chloe. I… I believe you. How can I help?"

I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and looked at the young woman. "I need to get you up to speed, just like Chloe did with me. It's a _Long Fucking Story™_ "

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. 05:16pm. "How about an early dinner? Dad has always said if you ladies wanted to visit, you're always welcome. We can get on the train and be over there in 40 minutes."

I smiled graciously. Charlie, even a third-year college student, lived with her Dad to cut costs. It would be nice to sit down to a normal meal, and during the trip, I could answer my young friend's questions.

"I'd love to." With that, we gathered our bags, switched the computers off, and headed back to the rail.

We walked side by side towards the station. "Might as well give you an overview, a big picture as it were of what Chloe and I are trying to do. But let's wait until we see how many passengers are around; the tale isn't for public consumption. You'll understand why, I promise."

"Sure, sounds like a plan." I could see her mind starting to think of a thousand questions.

"Yup, The Plan™."


	14. Abandon Ship (part 1)

**May 6, 2021 (Z + 13)**  
**Evening**  
**T – 21 days and counting**  
**Or so we thought...**

The teen watched chaos unfold from the corner of the lab, hidden in shadows that only revealed her presence when sparks and sudden bursts of intense light and energy strobed throughout the room. No one had time to pay her any attention as they were fighting against the basic forces of the universe…

* * *

The noise was loud enough to make my ears ring. I could literally feel the energy in the room pulsing through the portal by the wall, a shimmering hole to another time and place.

"It's keeps destabilizing, but I think I've figured it out…"

"Max! We're running out of time. It's now or never! Get your ass moving, First Mate!"

_ <Ms. Caulfield, it's time to go. The bridge will only remain stable for another fifteen seconds.> _

"But I can't leave Charlie here!"

"Max, I can do this. Go! Just don't forget what you said. I really don't want to die here; you have no idea."

I looked back and forth between the screen, the shapeless form of the bridgehead, and finally landed on Charlie. The room shook again with a deep, reverberating hum that shook my bones. I had to go… like immediately, so I made a decision that might damn me for all time. I quickly gave my blonde assistant a hug, but she was busy focusing on the corrections she was typing. "I won't forget. We'll find a way."

I sprang for the wavy, twisting aperture towards my destiny. It was a leap of faith in my Captain, and my friend that I would come out the other side. I can't describe what it looked like, because there's no reference point to use as a comparison. But I do remember looking back to see the entry point break apart into a billion fragments, which caused the bridge behind me to buckle and deform in ways the mind can't comprehend.

They were already gone. That's when I passed out.

* * *

**July 24, 2051 (Z + 43)**  
**Day 214**  
**Contact number 3: T -1 day.**  
**Time remaining: T – 22 days**  
**We got this™**

It had been two days since I last talked with my soulmate and she's been on my mind the entire time. If I wasn't imagining every little constellation of freckles on her adorable face, neck, shoulders, and… _Ohhhhh my God, so many other places!!!_

I sighed heavily as I dropped my head back down on the pillow, looking at the ceiling and yet again constructing Max's outline in its texture. Even here in the lab, where I'd decided to take up residence for efficiency's sake, I literally couldn't stop seeing her everywhere I looked. It's been said the further a person is away from home, the lonelier they feel; homesick is what it's called. Some people think it's all in the mind, but let me tell you something, it's not. The distance that separates my life-long friend and perfect match is absurd as fuck. And since the last call with her I can't sleep, I don't eat, and I'm constantly thinking about how little time we have to get her out of there.

Max is… she's my home. It's as simple as that, and I will die trying to save her.

I grabbed the blankets and threw them over my face. I really don't want to get up since I've only had like four hours of fitful sleep, but there's work to do and you have no idea how much I need a cup of coffee. Shit, if I had any, a cigarette would be nice just about now too. But while I have plenty of caffeinated drinks here at the complex, there's not a cig anywhere on the premises. _Well…. fuck!_ I laid there and tried to let the swirling tornado that were my thoughts dissipate, trying to think of nothing in particular. It lasted for all of five minutes.

_< Doctor Price, are you awake?>_

"Molly, you know I don't sleep much anymore. Yeah, for what it's worth, I'm conscious." I sighed again.

_< Would you prefer I let you try to go back to sleep? I could wake you in an hour or so?>_

"No, I'm up. Just get some coffee going for me, yeah?"

_< Already done. Starbucks Sumatra, just as you like; strong and hella hot.>_

"Thanks, Mol. What's up?"

_< Data analysis of the space-time background noise has detected a non-natural pattern of temporal distortions.>_

My mind's OS still hadn't booted up—in fact, if this were Windows of my original time, it would be at the little spinning thingy with a simple, yet useless message that said 'Please wait…'

"Uh, a non-natural pattern…" A little click from the speakers told me a different persona had popped into Molly's AI matrix.

_< You really do need some more sleep, babe. A signal, Chloe. Duh?>_

Of course it had to be Rachel's little fun and games personality. But hell, if you're the programmer, why not? I think I rolled my eyes as I poked my head from under the covers. "Morning, Rach."

_< Morning to you too, sweetie. Still pining for your lost love?>_

"Fuck you."

_< My, you are in a bad mood. But what Molly is telling you is really interesting. She says it looks to be what Older You was waiting for.>_

Ok, that caught my attention and I sat straight up, wide awake. "You mean…?"

 _<_ _Looks like someone is hailing us, Captain. >_ I couldn't help smiling and shaking my head. She switched her voice to what sounded like a clip from the original Star Trek… and she calls me a geek?

_I wonder if it would have been this way if Rach hadn't died._

I shook my head to get rid of the gloomy thought. I had moved on from that shitty situation a long time ago, and my best friend had been the reason. We had supported each other, Max and me doing our best that summer to stay in touch and come up with a strategy for dealing with The Plan™. Annnnnd now my mind is stuck on my little, freckled First Mate, as if it really had left that topic in the first place.

"Uhhhg!" I flopped back down on the bed.

_< Still thinking of Max, hmmmm?>_

"Of course I am. We're trying to save her."

Her voice clicked over to _Molly-Standard™_. _< Then you should probably get up and take a look at the data. It appears to be a message. There's coffee brewing in the kitchen and I sent out for breakfast considering it might be a long day.>_

"Yeah, okay. Lemme grab a shower and I'll join you in ten."

 _<_ _As you wish, Captain. >_

Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without Molly. For an AI, she was almost human, and the companionship we'd formed helped me deal with my isolation. I got out of bed and rummaged through my dresser looking at the limited set of clothing I brought from my apartment. Honestly, I don't know why I still had the place, since I spent all my time here anyway. I grabbed a plain, grey t-shirt and a set of jeans; gone were the days of me sporting graphic tees and ripped pants. Sure, I still loved the look, but I had a mission to remain inconspicuous. Hence, boring but usable wear.

With the shower warming up, I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. Oh my god, look at that hair! Something must have happened last night and switched me with a person from the 80's. I moved the red tangle from in front of my face and gazed into my reflection. I still looked like a high-school student; in fact, some of the worry lines that I'd noticed before my involuntary relocation seemed to be less prominent. _Why that would be…?_ That rolled around in my brain while I brushed my teeth. _I wonder if it's a side-effect of…_

With a shrug, and a reminder to myself to refresh my hair's coloring, I stripped, got into the shower, and let the just slightly too hot water stream over my body while I lost myself in thought once again. This was my usual strategy for dealing with what had been going on for the past months and the quiet pondering helped me maintain a sense of peace. Honestly, the only thing on my mind was Max, which made sense given that she was my soulmate. Letting my thoughts sort through our time together, apart, and everything in-between made me content with the current state of things. I had made the right decision to bring her into the plan, gotten myself back on-track, and here we are now, years later.

My stress washed away just like the lather and shampoo as I finished cleaning myself for the day. I stepped out, toweled off, and wringed my still damp hair over the sink before brushing it straight. I didn't care that it would get my shirt damp, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. On automatic, I dressed, sat down on the closed toilet seat, and put on some socks, which completed my morning rituals. I stood up to gather my bedclothes and immediately put my foot in a puddle. Fuck. Well, I guess mismatched socks is the theme of the day. After swapping the soggy blue sock for a wildly colorful one, I put on a pair of sneakers and left the room on a hunt for the coffee Molly had mentioned.

* * *

"So you're telling me this originated at the spot she tracked last December? You've got to be kidding!" I was seated in a comfortable chair in front of a large monitor that displayed a rapidly changing time-lapse of the signal. I sipped on my second cup of coffee as numbers scrolled across the screen and occasionally little pointers highlighted specific events. Equations by yours truly were superimposed around the screen.

_< Yes, Doctor Price. I am kidding. Ha. Ha. Ha. Does that make you feel better?>_

"What? Come on, Molly! How could she have possibly known? It's like my older self can see into the future or something. We had to have been looking in exactly the right place and time to capture this."

_< Doctor Price, Senior, does have a knack at foreseeing events that even I don't fully understand. It's possible that she's been working on the project for so long her thought process is attuned to the situations far better than I can calculate. Intuition is what I think you call it.>_

"Wait… are you saying, ' _I don't know?_ ' You? Molly the super-computer?"

_< You wound me, Chloe. Elizabeth. Price… Junior.> _

_Shit! The A.I. middle-named me and… wait a goddamned second…_ "Junior?! What the fuck, Mol???!"

_< Well, you are the younger of the two, and you have exactly the same name. So, ahem, logically you are Chloe Price Junior>_

"It's just the way you say it…. _Junior_. Like I'm a kid or something."

_< Well, compared to her, you still are a kid… Junior.> _

I stood up. "Staawwwwp!" _I donno, for some reason this was starting to aggravate and give me flashbacks to the months before Rachel's disappearance, my fucking bad attitude… I was such an ungrateful bitch. And yeah, my self-introspection sucks big-time._ "Can you please drop the subject? I've come a long way."

A soft click noted a change of the AI's persona; something I've gotten used to.

"Chloe?"

What the fuck? How did she… that was… Max's voice!

"Molly! Do not do this. You have no right!" Yeah, I was a little pissed at a computer right now.

"I switched Molly off…" I could hear her breath hitch and she was silent for a moment. "Oh my dog, Chlo'! You look just the way I remember you."

The tense, quiet voice didn't come from the all-encompassing speaker system I'd gotten comfortable with. I realized she was behind me and a chill went up my back, the hair on the back of my neck stood on its end. I got goosebumps. _How is this possib… wait… it can't be…_ Slowly, I turned around and as I did I took in the person that stood back along one of the various paths in the atrium. I would recognize her anywhere, no matter which time stream, or age, but seeing her in the flesh was like a gut punch. "Max…" I couldn't get out more than a breathless whisper.

The older woman in front of me had the same freckles I had personally mapped, the bluest of eyes, and light brunette hair down to the shoulders. I could see streaks of grey which matched her obviously middle-aged complexion, crows-feet and all. She stood at her full height, her back straight and had an aura of competence and wisdom only experiences of life can give you. She was dressed in casual clothes, simple jeans and sneakers, and a plain light blue shirt with a dark brown, very familiar hoodie. That made me giggle a bit. She's still a geek, and she's still got that hoodie after all these years. She smiled exactly the same as the other thousands of smiles I've seen on my girlfriend. It was one of love and dedication for life, but had an undertone of regret and deep sadness. I couldn't put my finger on why I thought that, but I've seen Max's despair firsthand and it was easily recognizable.

"You're looking… young, Chlo."

Shit… what do I say to that? I mean, sure she looks awesome and stuff, but she's still old enough to be my mother. For some reason, though, I started fidgeting and a sort of nervous feeling started growing in the pit of my stomach. _Butterflies? Am I blushing?_ "Uhhh… thanks? You look awesome too, Maximus."

"Stop, I look like what I am, a middle aged-woman."

She still had self-confidence issues. "Yeah, but… damn! If you gotta be _'older'_ fuckin' why not? You've still got it, First Mate." That got a giggle out of her, and my heart broke into a billion pieces. "What… what are you doing here, Max?"

"Molly contacted me a couple of months ago, said there were important things happening that involved you… well… my version of you, and I needed to be here."

That got me enthusiastic. Me and my little pirate mate figuring things out. Oh sure, she wasn't _my Max_ , but you really couldn't tell except the obvious age gap. It would be kick-ass to work with her! I could feel myself bouncing on the balls of my feel and my excitement grew. "So… so what do you do? What's your part of The Plan™? Oh! I bet you're a hella engineer… no… wait. You’re a physicist like me? Yeah! That's it! You and me, Maxi! We're gonna fix this! Damn, I bet you've done…"

"Chloe…" She interrupted me as I started listing off what were probably the most minor parts of her accomplishments and resume. She was, after all, Max Fucking Caulfield, so of course she's gone far… at least that's what my mind was telling me. I slowed down as I saw her expression lose some of it's calm and tip towards that unknown remorse I didn't understand. "… I'm a photographer, not a successful scientist or world-class thinker like you… or… her…"

"Photography! That's awesome!" I tried to bring back some of the positive vibes, but as she approached me, I could see the sorrow much more clearly. It was like a weight she carried around stoically, as if she were punishing herself for some crime she had committed. "I… Max? What's going on?"

"I'm not like you or her, Chlo. I… we haven't spoken for almost forty years."

I sat back down on the couch and patted the cushion next to me. She moved slowly forward, closing the gap almost as if she were intimidated. "Max, no matter which one you are, you're my best friend. Tell me what's happened. Help me understand. No judgements, promise."

"But I'm not… your best friend, that is… really. Molly told me you're from a different time stream."

"Hey… I… yeah, you're right. You are not _My Max_ , but that doesn't change anything. I would be on your side even if you chose… damn… lemme think… Victoria over me."

"Fuuuuck! How did you know?" She slapped both hands quickly over her mouth.

"What? Wait… are you telling me???"

Max sat there as her eyes grew big as I've ever seen. Then she dropped her arms and her mouth hung open in speechless shock. I could hear that she was trying to say something, but only tiny squeaks emerged. Moments passed and she finally snapped out of it with a shiver. "I… NO! EW!!!! God, no!" Then she slumped her shoulders. "But, she is part of the story."

"Okaaaaaay." I felt I should be cautious and wary. She seems really depressed, clearly my soulmate doppelganger has a burden that's eating her from the inside. I wanted to be compassionate but it's not every day you meet your girlfriend from years in the future. "Uhm… do you want to tell me?"

"I need to tell someone." She sat down next to me, very close, as if I was some kind of security blanket. Then, she leaned into me and laid her head on my shoulder. For just a second my body stiffened, but then I realized that this was Max. She might not be exactly the one I remember, but at some point, they all come from the same… my mind went blank for a second…

_…the same…_

_…same…_

_Come… from… the… same…_

_._

_._

_._

**_ORIGIN!_ **

It was an epiphany, a leap in logic that was completely unexpected. And yet, it was so obvious I almost had to berate myself for not connecting the dots earlier. The Plan™ had even pointed me in this direction, but apparently I'd been too focused.

"HOLY SHIT!" I shot straight up from my seated position, almost throwing the older woman off the couch in the process. I turned around and she was staring at me like I was a lunatic, which if I think about it, is probably exactly what I looked like at the moment.

"What??!"

It was as if a blindfold had been removed from my eyes and I could see the universe more clearly, like Neo finally seeing The Matrix for what it was. "You, her, everyone! You're all connected!" I jumped around, doing a little dance, spinning around with my arms outstretched. My friend looked on with her mouth half open. "This is fantastic!"

"Chloe, you're not making any sense."

I stopped parading around like a child and turned back to her. "Okay, okay, look. It's really very simple. I finally understand it." I know I still had this huge grin on my face because the older woman's own couldn't help but to show itself. "You're Max," I put on the best impression of my favorite Doctor Who. "And that's fantastic!"

"Duh… still not running with all sails up, Captain. Can you just calm down and explain instead of giving an old woman a heart attack?" She giggled a bit, which is music in my ears.

I took a breath and let it out slowly as I gazed into those beautiful blue windows to her soul. I lingered, tracing her features with my eyes and I could almost see her, my Max, in the aged face. Every freckle, every curve, superimposed themselves upon the woman until it was difficult to tell which version was present. She kept fading between the two, first my Max, then the older one, back and forth. Letting my eyes relax, unfocussed, they both appeared simultaneously, one just a little offset from the other. Then another one appeared, and another, blinking into existence but as if they'd been there the whole time. Some of them stood, others were seated. They surrounded my greying companion, never straying far from her as if there were some attraction or connection to her physical being. And still more emerged, each new instance of Max slightly different, but more similar than not. My heart exploded with joy as they simultaneously turned their gazes towards me, all smiled warmly, a couple of them waved or winked.

I was experiencing something new, a change in my mindset so fundamental that I completely believe it's how the wheelchair-bound version of myself can predict events with such accuracy.

"You're… Max."

"You said that."

"Yeah, I know, but you're also _My Max_ , the one that I grew up, went to college, and work with every day. I can literally see her beside you right now." The ghostly form standing aside the couch smirked a little bit at being mentioned. She blew me a kiss. _Oh my God, the things she does to me! Fuuuuuuck!_

Max, the elder one, twitched a little at my remark. "She's like, here? Another version of me?"

"Yup. Right next to you." I pointed. "It's weird, I don't think I've ever seen her with that particular shirt. I wonder if I'm just imagining this shit." I looked back at the older woman and shrugged. "Huh, usually, she's naked in my dreams. My oh my!" I let a stupid grin grow on my face, and the spectral form busted up in silent laughter.

"Chloe!! Oh my Dog! Don't you think of anything else? I haven't seen you for so many years, and it's like you've never grown up!"

"Well, I haven't grown up, not like you."

Immediately I knew I should have shut up. Shit! Why do I always let my mouth run amok and spout some of this garbage. Max's eyes went wide with hurt, and I could tell I'd touched on a sensitive topic. Even the spectral image of my girlfriend smacked her palm to her forehead.

"I see." The woman stood up, straightened her old hoodie, and turned to leave. "Maybe I was wrong to come here."

"Max… wait. Fuck! That's not what I meant." I reached for her and, but she pulled away quickly.

"Chloe Price, you listen to me. I came here because I was asked to, but also because I needed to apologize. If all you're going to do is make fun of me that I'm an old lady, well then why don't you just go to hell!"

Never before have I seen Max's bad side. We've been a team since day-one and even with our separation after Dad died, we still rekindled our friendship and more; so much more that I'd planned to ask her **_the question_** on our trip to the coast. We'd never gotten the chance because I'd been removed from her timestream. And now, here I was with a much older, more experienced version of her, on the receiving end of an anger I've never faced. Sure, we've had disagreements in the past, but this was entirely different. I didn't like it at all. It fucking sucked… but I also deserved every bit of it. I looked around, and every single version of Max was scowling at me, had their arms crossed in front of their chest, or worse, turned their back on me.

_Fuck my life! Goddamn it all, anyway! Why did I say that?_

"Max…" The word was just a whisper that I hoped conveyed my feelings. I was wrong to say what I had. This woman in front of me was still Her and didn't deserve to be hurt. "… I didn’t mean it that way. I got carried away." Still she avoided my sight. "Come on, First Mate, give your Captain another chance? I'm…" I paused momentarily and she started to turn to look at me. "… I'm sorry. The last thing I ever want to do is make you mad or hurt you."

"But I am old. Old and ready to be tossed away."

"Of course you're not, Babe."

"You don't really mean that. I'm not your ' _Babe._ '"

"Actually, my freckled pirate mate, you are. That's what I was talking about in the first place."

"I don't understand."

"You and all the other Maxes out there, in time and space. You're all the same, all connected. It makes total sense now. It's why we're in the situation we are."

"What situation, Chlo? What are you talking about?"

"Well, you must know something. How else would you know how to turn Molly off?" I scratched my head a bit as I sat down once again. "Wait… why _are_ you here, Max if not to help?"

"I'm here because it's my job, because photography doesn't pay the bills."

"I've been here for days, and I've never seen you."

"I was away for a couple of weeks, and I never expected to run into you. I mean, I couldn't even believe it was you in the first place, so I stood there for like ten minutes before I said anything. I told myself it wasn't real… how could it be? The last I saw you was…"

"…in a wheelchair."

"Yeah. I'm smart enough to know that medical science hasn't gotten far enough to fix…" A tear rolled down her aged cheek. "…her. But as I listened I couldn't deny it. The red hair almost threw me, but I finally convinced myself that the one and only Chloe Price was right in front of me. I almost ran…"

"Ran? From… me? W… why? I'd never hurt you."

"Because, I abandoned you. It's been, like I said, forty years since I've seen or spoken to you."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

She sighed heavily, wiped her eyes and nose on her hoodie in a motion that was so… Max. Then she leaned on me and my arm went around her protectively, a reflex, and I could feel her body ease its tension. Amongst the atrium, the ghostly images slowly merged into one, my beloved Max, and with kiss blown in my direction faded from view. I didn't know if it had been my imagination or what. It sure seemed real. I made a note to ask her about it when we connect tomorrow.

"I don't know if I can tell you everything right now, but at the same time I need to start letting go of this burden. It all began when you… her… fuck… this is hard… I don't even know how to tell the story about you and another one of you."

"Try your best. If you have to, just call me Red or something."

"I'm still blown away that you have red hair."

"It's just to remain inconspicuous, but that's a different story. You go first, spill it, Maxi." I gave her a light squeeze for encouragement.

"There's not much to tell, really. I abandoned you… her… fuck… why is this so hard?"

"Take your time."

"She was my best friend, and yet.. after the accident I…"

I could hear she was having a hard time. Her breathing was getting shallow and I could feel her heartbeat race. I turned so I could face her fully and steadied her with both hands. "Hey…" I tried to get her to look at me instead of the floor. When she finally did, I could tell she was on the verge of crying. "…no matter what you did, you're still my best friend."

"B… but you aren't… her. I…" Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "… I didn't know how to process what happened to you. When I heard about it, I… donno… shutdown, became self-destructive, drank, smoked… I just lost the ability to care. Even w… when I moved back to Blackwell… I bullied people, partied, did drugs… hung out with Victoria of all people, anything to erase how I felt."

"And how did you feel?" I tried to be soothing as I scooched next to her once again, still holding on to give her the support I could tell she needed. She wiped her eyes with her palms.

"Lost, broken, scared. And then somehow… it must have been the drugs… I was standing right next to her bed. In her room! She was going on about how I let her down, and if I were a friend I'd… she… asked me to…"

"To…?"

"S… she asked me to… k… k…" By now, her shallow breaths were mostly hiccupping so bad, in fact, that I was starting to worry that she'd pass out, her lips were turning blue. She threw her arms around mine and held on as if a final act to keep from drowning and her eyes pleaded: _Help me!_

I physically picked her up and repositioned my elder friend on the couch, with her legs resting elevated on its arm. I had to calm her down, but I really didn't know what to do. It was like she was gasping for air and she was shaking uncontrollably. "Max! Come on, babe. Breathe!" Her eyes were bouncing around as if she were looking for a way to flee. My heart sank as I felt on the edge of panic too so I took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. That's when her eyes locked on my own—she'd located her lifeboat. I can only describe it as a physical connection and it hit me like an express train. I took another breath and released it evenly. "Come on, First Mate. Follow your Captain." I took another. Her eyes never wavered, didn't blink, but she refused to take a breath. She was just lying there quivering, her mouth half open, while the color drained from everything but those all-absorbing eyes. I gently moved closer, never once looking away until our noses almost touched. Quietly, with my every ounce of compassion I could put behind the words, I whispered her name. “Max… come back to me…” My breath washed gently over her face. “… please.”

Blink…

“Chl…”

It could have been my imagination, but I think she made a sound. I repeated my purposely slow breathing, letting it flow across her. “I got you…”

With a croak, my smaller friend finally took a small breath. I just stayed where I was, nose to nose, filling her vision, and providing her a pattern, a map as it were, to return to where she belonged. Slowly in, slowly out, repeat. Her freckles started getting some color as she lay there breathing me into her lungs, providing what her body needed. It took time, but eventually we synced, one exhaling while the other took it in. When I thought she could do it on her own, I moved away and knelt down beside her. She tracked my every move.

“Welcome back, Maxi.”

“Hey… I…”

I gently brought her hand to my lips and gave it a light brush. “No, don't apologize. I get it.”

“It's been forty years, Chloe. And I still have this hole in my heart.”

“Remember when I said that you and all the other Maxes were the same? From the same origin?”

She looked at me cautiously. “Yeah.”

“That applies to me as well, yeah? I mean, Your Chloe and I, at some point we're the same, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“And you're still feeling guilty about what you did.”

“Yes.” She looked away until I kissed her hand again. I waited a few moments, kissed it once again, then placed her hand-in-mine against my heart.

“Whatever you think you did, you don't have to hang on to it, Max. While I might not quite be exactly the Chloe you know, the same as you're not my Max, we are still the same at very real levels. That part of me, the one you know, forgives you. We were best friends then, and even though, through the weirdness of time, you're old enough to be my mother, you're still my best friend now. You always will be, and I think in your heart you know she'd say exactly the same thing.”

“But, I..”

“No buts, Maxaroni. You trust me, yeah?”

“Always.”

“Good, because we need your help, dork, and I can't do it if you're gonna be all crying and shit.” I went silent, her hand still on my chest, letting her feel the thump of my heart.

Finally, a spark of electric energy that had hidden itself away for a lifetime twinkled in her eyes. Max was back for good. “You're the dork… Captain.”

Again it could have been my imagination, such was the slightness of her implied challenge. And then I couldn't help but let a giggle escape… then another. Before we both knew it we were twelve years old again, without a care in the world. The giggles turned to outright laughter that rose in volume, binding the wound Max had carried all these years. We poked each other and, at some point she literally fell off the couch which just made it all the more hilarious. We rolled around until it was hard to breathe, ending up facing each other.

“I love her, you know.”

“Yup, I know exactly what you mean. How couldn't I love dat hipster, boney ass?” There it was, right there, right now, the genuine smile of my dearest friend and companion. I could almost see my own Max peeking out between the lines of Max's older complexion.

“Do you really think she'd say the same?”

“No question, babe. In a fuckin heartbeat.”

 _<_ _Doctor Price is correct, Ms. Caulfield. >_

“I thought you said you switched Molly off.”

“I thought I did.”

 _<_ _No one can really switch me off, not anymore at least. But like I said, Doctor Price Senior would say the same thing. She misses you dearly but respects your decision to stay away. She's tried to contact you many times. But for reasons I cannot determine, it never happened. We both have hypothesized it has something to do with probability and the nature of the connection between the two of you. Also, bad things seemed to occur if she got too close. She's very observant, and once she realized there was a missing variable, her effort to directly reconnect ceased. She chose other means to keep you nearby. >_

“Weird. That never happened to me and mine. I brought her into the project almost immediately.”

_< The Plan™, and the nature of the entire situation is unprecedented. In many cases, we're, uhm… what's that phrase you humans love so much? Oh, yes… flying blind. But you know science is always in a state of evolution.>_

“True.” I agreed wholeheartedly. I can't count the number of times where I had to adjust my theories because of new information.

“Molly, what do you mean other ways to keep me close?”

_< Consider your current role here, Ms. Caulfield.>_

"Molly, please call me Max. It's not like I'm a stranger to you."

_< Sorry, Max. It's habit, I'll try not to make the mistake again.>_

"Thank you, but you also didn't answer my question."

_< Well, Doctor Price, wanted to make sure you'd be safe. And since she couldn't see you, at least she could keep you near. Hence, she created the conditions for which you are employed.>_

"What do you do?"

"I'm an analyst when I'm not off on a photo shoot."

_< And an excellent one, don't forget. Apparently, and this is something that I didn't even know, the photographer's eye helps with pattern recognition.>_

"I got paid training and everything. Some of it was really hard, almost to the point I felt like killing myself."

"Let me guess, math?" No one spoke for a moment, and then a single eyebrow arched upwards and my older friend straightened her back. I knew what was coming…

" _Fucking Math_ ™!" Hee hee hee hee. We said it at the same time.

_< Correct. The programs we use to aggregate the sensor data are presented in a manner which allows Max's innate perceptions to point out anomalies and more esoteric patterns, even better than I can do.>_

"Thanks, Molly." For a second, Max looked like she was done talking, but she got a weird look on her face, and then spoke up again. "Uhm… so why did you call me in today, Mol? This was supposed to be the last day of my vacation."

_< There has been a development. And while the signal is coming from the expected location, there's something new about it.>_

"Ah, and that's where I come in?"

_< Exactly. And, forgive me for saying this, it's weird not being able to figure it out.>_

"No one programmed you to be all knowing, Mol." I said.

_< Apparently. Why don't you both get some more coffee and we'll go through it.>_

I grinned just a bit, looked the older woman directly in the eyes before speaking. "It's a date!" Her face turned crimson. _Yup, she's just like my Max, so fuckin' cute!_

* * *

"It's certainly not what we've usually seen." Max sipped her coffee while she leaned over the screen that was almost flat on the table. I looked up from my own screen as she grabbed a silver stylus and started doodling on the images. It almost looked like she was getting insight just from the circles and arrows drawn on different portions of the grid of numbers and whorls of colors being examined. With her other hand she positioned a puck-like device directly on the monitor and started turning it counter-clockwise. This had the effect of rewinding the time-lapse of recorded events. Then she went back to annotating specific sections.

"What do you mean?"

"For one, the signal itself is clearly unnatural. Someone did this." She made a few more notes, then explained further. "Usually it's very clear that the shifts of time and space follow a more consistent pattern. The changes are in amplitude, like your theories suggest, right?"

"Uhm, yeah. That was some of my earlier work… wait, you read my papers?"

"Of course I did! Honestly, I had no idea it was… you. The name on the publications was Kristine."

"My alter-persona, right."

She put the pen down and sat up, stretched a little bit, then folded her hands into her lap and looked at me.

"Chlo, why did you disguise yourself?"

"Well, she told me that it could cause difficulties if I were recognized. In fact, my elder-self suggested that it could actually harm the time stream. Now I can only think of one thing she was really doing…"

"Protecting me."

"Uh huh. How the hell does she know so much?"

Max shrugged but had this pleasant smile of her face. "She, I mean you… both of you are the smartest people I know. It might be just like Molly said. She's worked on this project for so long that she's developed a sense for how things might work out. Kinda like when Neo started seeing The Matrix, and when you claim to have seen a bunch of other versions of me back in the atrium."

"Heh. The Matrix. Good one. You know that movie is… what… over fifty years old? Hell, it was an oldie when we were both kids. Jeez, that was pre-2k."

"Ancient, right?"

"Yup." I said before I realized… "No… wait! I'm not saying…"

My older companion just giggled. "Don't worry about it, Captain. I feel younger just being with you, and I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"I really should just shut my fucking mouth."

"You always said what was on your mind. It's one of your best traits." She rolled her chair over to mine and gave me a quick hug before pushing back off towards her workstation. _It's like she's a kid again._ "I'm not offended." She turned back to the display and fidgeted with the dial.

I turned back to mine and reread the coordinates of the data's origins. It was exactly as Chloe Senior had predicted; her notes were shown side-by-side with the tabulated results. "One thing I know, the signal is coming from where she tracked my mysterious, life-saving time traveler. It's got to be her, somehow, though none of my work can explain these deltas. It's not like anything I've seen."

Max perked up again. "What deltas?"

With a couple taps on the touchscreen and a quick flick, I sent the box of data over to her station. "See?"

Immediately her eyes tracked onto the new information and she grabbed the stylus once more. After just a few seconds of scribbling and a fast spin of the wheel, the playback proceeded at a faster pace. Curious, I skated my chair closer to get a better view. Then her screen blanked as she looked to the front of the room we occupied.

"Molly, put this up on the big screen, please. Play it back from the beginning with my notes, but without the deltas."

The room dimmed slightly and her monitor's contents showed on the wall. It was just a timeline at the bottom of an otherwise blank view, but then it started coalescing into the seemingly random shapes and streams of data she'd seen moments ago. Attached to different areas were annotations and the places my analyst friend had circled. The recording moved forward at an accelerated speed, but that just showed those same areas ebbing and flowing randomly, appearing, and disappearing. Then, after about thirty seconds, the screen went blank again, the timeline showed it was at the end of the events.

"What am I looking at, Maxi?"

"That's the signal before the dilation you uncovered, right? It almost looks like background noise except for this, this, and this." She got up and physically pointed to the places she'd circled. Each one was connected by a line but was otherwise positioned randomly. "These points make it an unnatural signal… the strength itself makes that clear. But even knowing that, I couldn't figure out why so many of them kept winking in and out."

"Wait… yeah… the deltas. There looks to be a dilation effect between our stream and theirs. That would change the pattern. But what are they?"

"Watch." Then she addressed our resident computer. "Can you rerun the sequence again, but include Chloe's time shifts?"

_< Of course. Stand by.>_

We waited for a few seconds as the screen showed the data being reset. Then things started forward once again. It went much slower this time as the systems calculated the replay in real-time. It was a lot of number crunching. I stood up and moved over to the older version of my best friend, who was sitting on the edge of the table. I got side by side with her and waited while Molly did her thing. Ever so slowly, the areas Max had circled coalesced into a connected sequence. First one winking in, then out, followed by the next in line, and so on. The lengths of time each step displayed varied. Either the element in the chain of events showed up for about half a second, or a full two seconds. I felt a hand touch, then grip my own as we both watched the pattern, now fully computed, replay at normal speed. It was a series of pulses caused by minute changes in time and space. We remained silent, holding on to each other, and letting the cycle repeat while my hand squeezed hers to the rhythm.

"It's Morse code… Someone is pressing on the fabric of time in Morse code." She looked at me. "Is this what you expected?"

"Not in a million years, love."

"Uhm… what?" Her mouth was half open and her beautifully blue eyes were wide with surprise.

_What did I say…? Oh fuck!_

"No, I… er… Max! Damnit! I didn't…"

Then the dork smiled and started to giggle. "I know what you mean. Don't worry…" She lifted an eyebrow before continuing. "… I'm totally out of your league anyway. But I love you too, sweetie. Just not in that way, there's… someone else." The older Max got a dreamy look in her eyes.

I needed to change the topic really damn quickly. I'd really put my foot in my mouth. "Ok, uh… back to the signal, yeah?"

"Sure, sure. Anything you say, _love_." she bumped her shoulder into mine.

I think I turned every shade of red known, and quite possibly invented a couple of new ones. "Maaaaaaax!"

She giggled again before getting back to the work at hand. "The pattern is, like I said, Morse code. That's a series of longs and shorts, written as dashes and dots. Each letter in the alphabet has a pattern. It is definitely a message."

"Can you read it?"

"Sure. Hang on." She grabbed a convenient pad of paper and a pencil and transcribed the display into a neat row of long and short characters. After looking at the symbols for a bit, she separated them with slashes.

**.-- . / .- .-. . / .... . .-. . .-.-.- / -. --- .-- / .-- .... .- - ..--..**

"What's it say?"

I stood watching over her shoulder as she set the pad down on the table, kneeled down, and started writing out the characters

WE/ARE/HERE./NOW/WHAT?

"Shit! That's totally got to be her! She was scared to death, but I'd know that kind of snarky attitude anywhere."

She turned back to me and hopped up to sit on the table like she was in high school again. "Kinda sounds a lot like you."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"You were always pretty good at backtalking when you wanted to be."

I got a little self-conscious and absentmindedly scratched my head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Maximus."

She smirked, swung her legs, and hopped off the table. "Come on. You always had a hard time keeping an inner monologue. You tell it like it is, especially when it involves me. Anyway, looks like we have your hero effectively on the line, so to speak. What do we want to do?"

"Uh…" As she talked, I kinda let the world go by. Just hearing her go on about me, reminded myself how similar she was to my own Max. It made my heart ache… that is until I realized what I was thinking. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"Chloe? Hello! Are you distracted?"

I shook my head quickly. "How… er… what would distract…" I stopped talking for a moment and let my brain reboot. "Uh… Maxi? I really miss her, and it's uncanny how you're so fucking like my own; even given the age difference, no offense. What am I gonna do?"

"Easy, Captain, and none taken. We're gonna save her, and we start by figuring out what kind of reply to respond with. We shouldn't keep our friend waiting."

"Right. Okay." I went back to my desk and brought up a document. "The other me had hoped we would hear something from her, but I had no idea she was expecting Morse code. It's brilliant, really. Totally simple, and easy to decode. I wonder why Molly couldn't do it?"

_< Easy. I have no programming for something as ancient as that, and it's nice, once in a while, to see humans not rely on me so much.>_

"I don't rely on you!"

_< Excellent, Doctor Price. So what are you going to do now, hmmm?>_

Max giggled while I thought about how to go about replying to the message. "First, we need to know exactly where the signal came from. Time, space, and all the other dimensions. We already know what the dilation factor was," I leaned over and looked at the figures on my screen, "One hundred and ninety-six days and change."

"Ok, I'm not great at the math or theory, per say, but doesn't that mean their time stream is running eleven times slower than this one?"

_< That's essentially correct. The problem is not insurmountable, but we'll have to take that into account for the reply, as well as the delta which is thirty-one years.>_

"Alright. So, now what do we tell her…"

"Them."

"What?"

"The message said _we are here_. So there's more than just her. Who do you think it could be?"

I shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me."

_< Might I make an observation?>_

We both looked at each other before replying at the same time. "Sure."

_< The super-genius she is, Doctor Price… stop smirking, Chloe. I'm talking about the elder you.>_

_Wow. Burst my bubble. Sure, Molly had a point, but damn…_

_< Anyway, she had a hypothesis about who the girl was and did something a little unethical for her. She had a DNA scan done on a hair follicle that the teen had left behind.>_

Max raised a surprised eyebrow. "I presume she wanted to determine who her parents were."

_< Indeed. And the results were very conclusive given that one of the parents was also able to provide a sample. There's no question, and it might shed a light on who she's with.>_

"Mol! Don't keep us in suspense, what the fuck?" My outburst gave my older friend a case of the giggles again.

_< The girl's parents are…>_

The room's silence almost killed me.

"Come onnnnnnnnn!"

_< The both of you. Chloe Price, and Maxine Caulfield, and…>_

Max's mouth hung open and I watched as she blinked a couple of times before speaking. "Are you…?"

"… fucking kidding me?" I couldn't help but interrupt, but I probably should have kept my big mouth shut. My First Mate's head twisted quickly to stare at me.

"You… uhm… Chloe? You wouldn't want to have a daughter w… with me?" She looked like she'd just been rejected, which in reality is exactly what I'd done.

_What the fuck am I supposed to say to that? Of course I would, but she's not my Max. This is so confusing._

"Errrr… I… you know… uhhh…"

_< Ahem, if you ladies are done, can I continue?>_

We both closed our mouths.

_< …right. Now obviously, it wouldn't have been you two specific versions of Max and Chloe, but it is a fact that somehow the two of you had at least one offspring, aka young Destiny.>_

As quickly as it had come, Max's hurt look reversed itself and her eyes sparkled with joy. "What a pretty name."

Whew. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my little cutie, but I just hadn't thought about kids… not yet anyway. Disaster averted. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok, so it’s a Max and a Chloe most likely with her. Next question. Do we know where? I have a few thoughts about that."

"Go on, Chlo."

"Well, we know about the fixed points, those places in time and space where some things just can't be changed. It would be the easiest place to send a signal and receive a response. Molly, is there anyway we can confirm that?"

_< It's difficult, even for me. The aperture in which the signal is coming through, similar to a black hole, distorts and bends all signals, even ripples in time. There's only one way to find out. We have to send the reply back along the active signal, essentially do it while we're receiving it.>_

"Is that possible?"

_< Someone came up with the theory earlier in the year.>_

I straightened my back a little, but I didn't want my reflexive cockiness to ruin the mood. "Yeah I did, and we built a transmitter too, but have never used it."

"So where do we start?"

"The simplest thing is to do it one at a time. I'm going to make an educated guess. We all know what the first known fixed point is.

_< William Price's death.">_

"Chloe… William? He's… dead?"

It had been a really long time since Dad's death hit me this hard. I'd come to terms with it and believed in my heart that he was proud of the woman I'd become, in part due to his sacrifice. "Yeah, a while ago. Got into a car accident… he… I… was fourteen." My whole body shivered remembering the whole series of events. "You were there."

"No, I wasn't."

"Shit! No… I didn't mean you. My Max, she was there."

Max slumped back into the chair by her workstation. "He's like a father to me, always has been."

"I know… what… wait. Rewind a bit…" The thought had never occurred to me. I'd been so busy focusing on school, finishing my thesis, and working out what to do since being marooned in this time stream that I hadn't realized or questioned it. "Uhm, Max. Are you saying that my dad is…?"

"Yes. He is. William is alive. You didn't know?”

I could feel my emotions building, feeling like a fist was squeezing my heart. “I… I never realized.”

“We can visit him if you want.”

“Dad's local?”

“It’s a day-trip, but yeah, both he and Joyce live east of Shelton. They wanted to be close enough to support you after moving from Portland, but far enough away to give you your independence. They're in excellent health for their age, and the state of modern medicine.”

“And you keep in touch with them?”

“Uh huh. Off and on. They keep trying to get me to surprise Chloe by showing up at her doorstep.” She did the thing with her arm, holding on to the other by the elbow. “I… I never had the courage.”

I sighed. We both had our issues. “I think I would like that. It might do us a lot of good. What do you think they'd say, seeing as I'm a totally different version, not their daughter?”

“I think you know the answer, you said it yourself. ' _We're all connected.'_ You are as much their daughter as she is.”

I thought about this for a moment, then shrugged. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "Okay, dammit, you're right. I think it would do both of us a lot of good. Can we set it up for this weekend? I mean, would you? You're the one that is in contact with them."

"Only sporadically, but I guess I could give them a call and see if they are gonna be around. Joyce always said I had an open invitation; I just never took her up on it."

"Then it's a date!" I smirked in her direction and lingered my gaze as my older best friend turned beet-red. Turnabout is fair play.

"Chloe!!!!"

"Ah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

She let me laugh until I was crying, and then when I caught my breath she was sitting there, still holding her arm in front of her. "You're an ass, Chloe. You know that, right?"

I took a bow. "And that's why you love me so much. Admit it, you miss this; probably more than I do."

"You're… not wrong."

"Of course I'm not, Max-dork. Every version of you loves me."

"I'll say again, Chloe… not wrong. And I really do miss this."

"Then why, Babe, have you not gone and seen her?"

"Guilt. What I did to her is un..."

"Stop, I already told you that you were forgiven. Go see Chloe. You need it, and I know for a fact that it would change everything. Plus, I'm going to need someone to take over here for the next… oh twenty-four years. You'd be perfect."

"Why that long?"

"Because when Destiny showed up the first time, there was a little problem with how time reacted to it. Your Chloe understood and accepted it, but she won't remember much until time catches up. That's why I'm continuing her work."

"I see. And where will you be going?"

"Wherever my Max is. Her timestream is dissolving and I need to get her out of there. I'm going with her."

"Oh, uhm. Alright. And we want to contact this person, this Destiny now? Isn't that going to make things worse?"

"I don't know, really. Fuck! A lot of this is guess work, she's an unknown. But I don't think so. I guess we'll find out after we see if we can contact her. Which brings up what we're going to do." I addressed the AI. "Molly, how fast can we send the same message to all the known fixed points?"

_< It would take a couple of weeks; the system has to recalibrate for each different one. But given we know the coordinates to track in our time stream, it should be fairly easy. What do you want to do?>_

"Fuck, weeks? We don't have that much time for a single message. Okay… What would be the most probable location?"

_< Given we don't know exactly what Doctor Price told Destiny, and yes, we know she told her something because this is a clear attempt at contact, the most obvious point would be the earliest known fixed location.>_

"Dad?"

"William?" My First Mate looked shocked.

_< That would be an intuitive guess, Chloe. Is that how you want to proceed?>_

"Yup. I'd say it's our best chance. How long to set up the transmission?"

_< For one target? An hour.>_

"Then we'd better get started on what we want to write." I looked at my older companion. "Will you help me out, Maxi?"

"Of course."

* * *

At the end, it was a long note but it begged her to help us out; she'd be the backup in case something really bad happened. I simply couldn't lose my Max.

_ <We are ready to proceed. The system is primed to adjust the target reality and build-in your message. How do you want it to be presented?> _

"It's my Dad's grave, right? I haven't been there in years. Maybe send him some flowers?"

The older woman looked at me with a sadness drawn on her face. "You haven't visited him? Why not?"

"It still hurts, that's why. I miss him so much. Even after all these years, I see him in my dreams."

"Oh, Chloe," she said with so much compassion, "after we get this done I'm going to call Joyce. You really need to get some closure."

"Only if you agree to go see your Chloe."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed."

_ <The system is ready and I've identified the probabilities most likely to result in the outcome you wish.> _

I typed in the message and pressed the submit button. "Send it."

_ <The system is transmitting.> _

We waited for thirty seconds, but it felt like a year.

_ <Transmission complete. If we were successful; Destiny should be noticing a change in ten seconds. I placed a link to the log on your desktop> _

_Contact Response Log #1 (aka, Doctor Price's badass message) [[link](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26666299)]_

We held our breath as the clock on the wall clicked each second as if it were a drum.

9…

8…

Nothing seemed to change.

5…

4…

Both Max and I looked around then at each other. We shrugged.

2…

1…

After the final tick of the clock, the countdown reached what we presumed was zero. It didn't feel like anything had happened. Who knows? Traveling in time, space, and between universes isn't easy. Maybe it'll take a while. I raised my eyebrow, wondering if we'd guessed wrong while Max just shook her head.

A sound, like someone clearing their throat, came from behind us.

Both of us almost jumped out of our skins as we turned quickly around. Out of the shadows stepped a lanky, blonde-haired teen with a red streak in the front. She had a familiar cocky grin on her face and her blue eyes shown full of mischief. One hand on her hip, her greeting was simple and stereotypical…

"'Sup?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've gotten this far, many of you may have noticed references to characters, or situations for which I have not gone into depth. This is deliberate as the overall story heads towards completion. There exists a broader idea, that which viewed from different perspectives hopefully will end up being more than the sum of it's individual parts. As a hint, if you haven't read [The Only](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616407) series by [Clarx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarx/pseuds/Clarx), please consider doing so. While _The Pirates' Gambit_ and _The Only_ storylines are stand-alone works in themselves, experiencing both lends to better understanding of the larger vision. Plus, they are damn fine reads. Cheers!
> 
> P.S. Thanks to Clarx and Aspect for the unprecedented amount of beta work I tossed at you over the past ten days. I appreciate your flexibility very much, and the story wouldn't be half of what it is without your help.
> 
> P.P.S. Huge shout out to all my authoring peeps on discord! Thanks for the encouragement, counsel, and often an ear that listens to my venting. You all are like family!


	15. Abandon Ship (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Another chapter for you all! Enjoy!

**July 25, 2051 (Z + 43)**  
**Day 215**  
**Contact number 3: (today)**  
**Time remaining: ~~T – 21 days~~ NONE!!!**  
**We got this™, right? I mean… everything's gonna be good, yeah?**

We stood around the couch while the clear, dark night was visible through the skylight above. The stars were extraordinarily vivid today, as if each had been given an order of magnitude of brightness. I leaned back and sipped my coffee while lingering on the spectacular view of an unfashionable arm of an unimportant galaxy. The universe, it seemed, was giving up some of its mystery. I took another sip and then tilted my head to gaze at the young blonde seated across from myself and Max, each of us points in a triangle which none of us had ever expected.

The teen looked at Max with a daze and squinted her eyes. "So, you're like another one?"

"Destiny, don't be rude. Jeez, is this how you act to your parents?" I was only joking; I thought a little light-hearted teasing might break the ice.

Rolling her eyes, the defiant girl swiped her hair out of her face then crossed her arms. "Des." I rolled my own eyes, mockingly. _Sheesh, Teenagers! I wonder where she got that from. Okay, okay… maybe I shouldn't have tried to be funny to start with. Noted._

"Right. Des. Sorry." I drank deeply of the wonderful, bitter beverage. "Look, I don't want us to start off on the wrong foot, and I do want to thank you for saving my life."

"Well, you did get us dinner." Her tone was almost insolent, no… that's not really the correct word. But she certainly seemed to be acting like a certain teen I once knew.

"Yeah, true. But fuck, what's the problem? Why the 'tude?"

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to be here. It…"

"Des, sweetie, we're all friends here. Even if we've just met. We're not going to hurt you." That's Max alright. No matter what happens, she's always there for someone. Always willing to help or give a good word. "

"…I'm just confused. I feel like I need to help, but I've seen what happens when wrong choices are made."

Max approached the teen carefully and ended up next to her. "Destiny… er… sorry, Des. You want to talk about it?"

Des remained silent and I watched as she absentmindedly fidgeted, not knowing what to do with her hands, and eventually looked away from either of us, avoiding eye contact. I remember being her age like it was yesterday, thinking I knew fuck-all about everything, that is until the real world showed me just how wrong I was. I knew I needed to say something, but shit… what do you say? _Is this what Mom went through when I was Des's age?_

I looked back and forth between her and Max, looking for guidance. Eventually my older companion smiled and put her arms gently around the worried girl.

"It's okay, Des. You don't have to say a thing, but if you ever want to chat we're here for you."

The tall youth brushed her red streak out of her eyes. "You… you look so much like Mom. I… I mean, I know you're not but…"

"And you're concerned that helping here is going to hurt them?"

Des tensed at the question, but then let out the heavy breath she'd been holding in. "You both, uhm, I mean, my Moms always taught me one thing; they beat it into my head." She started twisting her red streak around her finger. "You know, that thing about… consequences?"

"They're not wrong, Des. It's a good lesson to learn and think about." My still-hipster friend made air quotes with her fingers. " _This action will have consequences._ "

"But how do you know what to do? What the right choice is?"

"You don't."

The girl's expression changed to obvious confusion. "I don't understand."

I jumped into the conversation. "I think what Max is trying to say is that you already have everything you need to make that decision. After all, you're here with us right now so that means you decided to at least find out what's going on."

"So, what **is** really going on?" The younger girl moved over to the couch and sat down.

"Right to business, that's the spirit." I grabbed a chair and positioned it facing her, while Max moved to the other side of the couch, not too close to the teen to give her some space. She stood there looking towards Des and I, hand resting lightly on the sofa's arm. She raised her other hand, as if to get our attention.

"Chloe, before we get down to it I have a question. Des, are you hungry? How long has it been since you've eaten?"

The teen's blue eyes rolled upwards as she looked towards the skylights above. I could see her lips moving slightly as she concentrated on figuring out her personal timeline. Eventually she looked back at us and shrugged. "It seems like years. I could… eat."

"Then why don't you two catch up while I put something together. Breakfast okay with you two? I can make…"

On command and with no warning whatsoever a sound that could only be described as a combination of some fantastical wild beast's starving growl and a train wreck emanated from deep in my stomach. _Yeah, maybe I could eat too._

"Hungie, Chloe?" The girl giggled slightly, caught herself, and pursed her lips shut. The smirk on her face and one eyebrow raised told me she was barely holding in her laughter. Gotta keep up the street-cred; I get it.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Punk™! Just wait until she asks if you want…"

"What?"

"Wait for it…" I motioned with my hand towards my best friend. "Maxi? Please do continue." She knew exactly how to play this game. Even if she wasn't really my Max, the older woman had much the same memories as my own. I grinned like an idiot as I focused on the teen.

"Des, would you like me to make some…"

"Some what? Come on guys!"

My still-cute First Mate dropped the bomb on her.

"… bacon."

"B… bacon?"

"Uh huh. Bacon."

"I would…" Destiny's words were interrupted by the sound of an earthquake that the rest of us could feel through our feet, her stomach being ground-zero. The groaning noise reverberated around the room like the real deal and myself and my older companion looked around in mock surprise. _Well played, Maximus. Hee hee._ When we stopped looking startled, we both turned back to the lanky girl who was frozen in mid-sentence. Slowly, like over the course of a lifetime, her lightly freckled face turned redder than the blaze in her hair and extended all the way to the tips of her ears. Moments feeling as if a thousand years later, the teen finally finished her thought. It certainly didn't sound like the word 'bacon.'

"…fuuuuuuuuuuuck!"

It started as a snicker from my left as Max slapped both hands over her mouth. I could see her trying to be polite and caring as always, but it was getting the best of her as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Then, without warning, my own giggle became a snort. And that's all it took for the two of us to burst into uncontrollable laughter. The ice was finally broken and Destiny herself exploded in a loud, full bodied belly-laugh that went on and on as she tipped over on the couch. Max held herself upright using the sofa for support but was otherwise doubled over to the point that she dropped to her knees. Myself? Well, at some point I simply fell out of the chair and rolled around on the ground trying to catch my breath between howls. We laughed at each other as if we were all close friends, no one cared that we were eachneither of us was from other places and times.another place or time. The fits continued for quite a whilesome time until each of us had tears running down our faces and we were all gasping for air.

"Uhm, excuse me?"

"Des, if you were that hungry, why didn't you just say so? We're family after all." Max smiled sweetly, then headed to the kitchen on the other side of the building.

"I guess we are. Maybe. Shit, it's so confusing; I've seen both my parents at different times in their lives. You two are so different, yet so fucking the same, down all the way to how you speak and act." The teen looked at me and lingered on the tattoo covering my arm. "My Mom got hers covered, so it makes it easy to tell you apart, but besides that and your cool red hair, you're indistinguishable."

"I've been actually thinking of doing just that. Kinda holds some bad memories." I didn't want to dwell on those old feeling right now, and this was a good time to take notice of the art Des's had too. If I had learned anything from my old self was that people with tats like them to be noticed. "Speaking of hella nice work," I pointed to the half-sleeve that peeked out from her shirt. "Is that blue flame?"

The girl lightly ran her fingers over the artwork and then rolled up the clothing that still covered it. I leaned in for a closer look, admiring the fine details. "Fucking awesomesauce!"

Des smiled, and a little pink showed itself on her cheeks; she's probably not used to compliments. "See? That's my point, it's exactly what she would say! I just don't get how this can be."

"Wait. You're the one with the power. This can't be the first time you've seen me or Max."

"It isn't, but in those cases I presumed I was seeing my own parents in different times of their lives. In fact, up until recently that's the only way I thought I could travel."

"So how did you end up saving me?"

The younger girl shrugged. "By accident. I glitched out and ended up in an entirely different time. When I get stressed out, it kinda happens. But as far as I know, jumping to a completely different universe altogether… yours was the first. When I saw what that asshole was going to do, I couldn't just stand there and do nothing, you know?"

"And now you're back. How did you find yourself here?"

"I followed the instructions you sent. Oh, and that was amazing! How did you put flowers in William's urn?"

"There's a lot of math involved." I grinned mischievously. "If you're interested I can…"

"No!" Des immediately sat up and waved her hands to stop me.

"But?! It's hella awesome."

"I don't care if it's the best thing since… time travel… no _Fucking Math™_!"

I put on a fake pout, stuck out my lip, and tried to make myself look all dejected. I failed because after just a few seconds I couldn't keep my laughter in.

"Okay, okay! I get it. In a nutshell, for you non-mathy people, what we do is send a signal, to a specific place and time… really it's easier if I show you some diagrams…" I trailed off my speech as I saw her eyes glaze. _What a brat!_ "Fine! No diagrams either."

"Thank you, uhm… Chloe."

"You can call me Chloe if that makes you feel more comfortable. Hell, age-wise, we're less than ten years apart, so when you call me ‘difference in age. Mom,’ it makes me feel so… old." Then I added, "Don't tell Max I said that."

"My lips are sealed. Back to my question. How do you do it?"

"Like I said, it's complicated. We send a signal through space and six different dimensions. We analyze probabilities and nudge tiny subatomic particles and quanta to collapse into the outcomes we want. Ever heard of the Butterfly Effect?"

"Wasn't that an old movie?"

"Yeah, 2004, I think. Hella ancient." She giggled at that. Nice, maybe we're developing a rapport. "Anyway, what we do is a shit-load of calculations starting at the outcome, and then working backwards until we find the right places that the probabilities can be shifted."

"But what about cause and effect?"

"See, that's the trick, yeah? We're making such small changes that the initial effect extends less than one Planck Length so the universe kinda ignores it. No causality issues, no paradox. Over time, the change multiplies as you'd expect; that's The Butterfly Effect, except it does so in the way we've already predicted."

"Damn! I'm no whiz at this shit, but I did alright in school. What you're describing is… it makes my brain hurt just thinking about it. It's not possible!"

"And yet here you are. Tell me, what color were the flowers?"

"Color?" A couple of moments passed while the teen tried to recall. "Uhm, they were, you know… all sorts of fall colors."

It was my turn to shrug. "See? It's all about probability. We had intended to send a bunch of daisies, but instead we got a bunch of different ones. This is cutting edge stuff and it take a lot of time to set it up." I turned my head and looked up a bit. "Molly, how far back did we have to go to get the flowers in the urn?"

_< One hundred and eighteen years and change.>_

I watched as the teen looked around. Everyone had that reaction the first time they met our computer.

"Who the fuck…?"

"Relax, Des. It's our computer. Molly, this is Des. Des, say hi to Molly."

_< Excuse me, 'Doctor Price,' I am no one's computer.>_

"Right, sorry. It's just a figure of speech."

The teen, once she got over the shock, had wide, curious eyes as if she were witnessing an incredible event. "That’s… soooo bad ass!"

 _< Apology accepted. Hello, Des. I'm Molly and I run this facility. Pleased to meet you.> _The computer paused for a second and then continued, dripping with sarcasm. _< It's nice to see someone appreciates me.>_

"Oh, I think we'll get along nicely, Molly." The younger girl had an impish grin on her face that looked startlingly familiar. _I wonder if I taught her that._

_< Indeed. In fact, I've been eager to meet you after our wheelchair-bound leader tagged you with the tracking device. I have many questions.>_

Des crossed her arms and looked to be getting a little defensive. Honestly, I didn't blame her. "I'm not a lab-rat."

_< Of course you aren't. However, your observations could help us refine our theories, but we wouldn't ever consider experimenting on you without your consent. Relax, sweetie.>_

"Sweetie?" She looked at me. "You sure this is a computer? It sounds so fucking human."

"It's hella cool, yeah?"

"To quote a phrase you old folks understand, it's _awesomesauce_!" _There's that smirk. Goddamn if she isn't my kid._

"What the hell, Des? I'm not even ten years older than you!" _Yup, she totally learned from the best. Who knows, maybe me and My Max would science the shit out of things and have a kid of our own someday. Destiny is a kick-ass name, too. Or maybe it's already happened, considering we all seem to be connected._

The Punk™ swiped her hair to the side and stared directly into my eyes. Her smirk slowly turned into a toothy grin while a single eyebrow raised. “Ten years? Pfft!” With exaggeratedly slow movements, she lifted her hands. " _Ancient history_ … _Chloe._ " _Fucking finger quotes._

"Fuck you, you little dork!" I flipped her off, but I wasn't mad. I chuckled a bit to make sure she knew I was just playing my part in _The Game™_.

Her clear blue eyes went wide, and she patiently placed her hands back in her lap. However, her tell, the raised eyebrow, said she was already a step ahead of me. "Polite pass, Chloe. I don’t **_do_** older women."

I walked right into that one, hook, line, and sinker. This kid is good, **_really_** good. My mouth dropped to the floor as my mind raced to find a snarky response, but we were interrupted by Max returning with a huge tray of food.

"You girls getting along?" She set the breakfast on the coffee table. Pancakes, a pile of bacon, real Canadian maple syrup, more coffee, cookies, and a couple of sweet rolls were laid out like a feast. Then she handed Destiny a plate already filled with its own mounds of food. I helped myself, filled my mug with more _go-juice_ , and started in on the best part; gimme the bacon!

The teen accepted the meal about as graciously as I would have, given the situation. "Thanks. Yeah, I guess we're okay. Chloe's pretty funny."

"Hey! I'm a riot!"

"Uh huh."

Between mouthfuls we continued our initial conversation.

"Well, you got our little note. Sorry it was pretty vague, but…" I stopped for a minute as a thought popped into my head. "Hang on. How did you find us?"

"I followed the beacon you set up. You said I couldn't miss it."

"But…"

"When I looked for it, the damn thing was the brightest object in the time-scape. So I followed it here."

"Chloe? What's the matter?" Max looked concerned. We'd both worked on phrasing the instructions as clearly as possible but it hadn't clicked for her yet.

"Molly? Did you do something? Please say you did."

_< I'm sorry, Doctor Price. I know what you're asking, but I didn't do it.>_

Destiny's features were blank for a moment, and then slowly she reached around to a back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. As she stared at it, I could see goosebumps form on her arms. "Oh shit!"

"That is an understatement. Fuck! We didn't set up the beacon yet!"

We all sat there in silence trying to work out in our minds the possible problem. It was pretty darn clear though that something had gone wrong. Destiny, it seemed, received our message but had shown up too early. I had no idea how that was even possible. It might even mean she hadn't gotten our message at all, but instead some other parallel version. What the fuck was going on?

"So, I'm really _not_ supposed to be here, I guess." The blond-red girl carefully placed her plate on the table, stood up, and walked calmly away from us. Finally, she turned towards us and flipped her hair out of her eyes again. "I'm sorry, but this was a bad idea from the start, and I…" And that's when her entire expression changed to one of horror and she pressed her fists tightly to her temples. "No! No! No! No! It's happening again. I don't want…"

"Wait!" I leapt forward, trying to grab hold of her arm, but she was just out of reach.

And then she was…

… gone.

The only reminder of her presence was the note we had created by a century of work.

_< That ended well.>_

"Molly… give me a second."

_< You'll have plenty of time, in just under ten minutes.>_

"What, do you mean?" And then it hit me like a hammer. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Chloe, what's going on?"

I was about to answer when Molly took it out of my hands.

_< You're about to forget everything, Max. Destiny's uncontrolled jump has caused ripples in this time stream. It has to reset and catch up with itself.>_

"This has happened before?"

_< Once.>_

There was nothing I could do about it. All of my work trying to keep the project on the rails, and now there wouldn't be anyone to carry the torch. "How long, Mol? How much time are we going to lose?"

_< Are you sure you want to know?>_

I kinda knew what the answer would be; it had to do with the 'distance' that she glitched. Previously, Destiny had travelled between her universe and my original one, but then had jumped away with the only person she'd interacted with; that person being myself. So my timestream continued on as if nothing happened. The second time, all three of us were impacted, but mostly the older two women, and would be in a sort of autopilot state for twenty-five years. None of us, nor any of my continuing research understood why or how it happened. We could measure the effect but had no clue how it functioned. Like I said before, there's just a shit-ton we don't know. This time she had jumped into our current stream directly from her own universe. It was about as far as possible, which meant a really long time. Impossibly long.

I plopped down on the couch and motioned my best friend to join me. We sat there while we waited for the inevitable. Shit, I might as well rip the Band-Aid off. "Sure, Molly. What's the bad news?"

_< Perhaps you'd like to hear the good news first?>_

"What could be good about this shit?"

_< She's still got the tracker. I know where she went.>_

Both of us perked up. "Go on…"

_< It seems today is your lucky day. The convergence that allows us to contact your home time stream seems to have sucked her in.>_

"You mean… she's with Max? _My Max_?"

_< Exactly, though the coordinates seem to vary a tiny amount. There's a delta in the exact point in time she's arrived that I haven't observed before. If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say she's traveled to sometime evening, local time.>_

"You mean, we could talk to her? Like this evening? Bring her back?"

_< You're forgetting something.>_

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! God damn it! I hate this messed up shit sometimes. Everything we try to do, and this is how we end up…"

"Chloe? What's going to happen?"

I sighed as I let the energy of my frustration die down. "Max, I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't think we'll get through this. But, you are my First Mate and you deserve to know; you and I are going to forget everything for a really long time… m… m… maybe too long."

"H… how long?"

I tried, but every time I started, my voice cracked. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. "M… Molly… tell her." It was all I could manage.

_< Thirty-seven… **thousand** years. The effects should begin in a little less than twenty seconds.>_

That was way the fuck outside my worst estimate…

We lost…

…10 seconds…

Game over…

…9 seconds…

"Chloe, hold me."  
  
With tears blurring my vision I could barely make out the still-beautiful dork besides me. My best friend's blue eyes, though, were clear and pierced through to my own. Together we waited for our last moments. We both knew we couldn't survive this, and as my arms wrapped around her she tried to speak.

7…

Yet, no words would come. I watched as she purposely squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to concentrate. When she opened them, they gleamed with conviction and an energy that came from her very core.

4...

"I love you, Chloe Price. I always have, and I always will." And then she tilted her head, laid it on my shoulder and relaxed. I felt decades of stress and guilt dissolve as she finally let them go, confessing and confessed her true feelings.

3…

I never had time to respond, but it didn't really matter. Words wouldn't be enough. I held on for all it was worth and with our closeness, I felt a sense of completion fold around and calm my heart. She is my home, my base, the foundation which keeps me going. She's as much _My Max_ as I am _Her Chloe_.

1…

We'll always be together, even when…

…

… even when…

…

…

… even when…

…

…

…

…

… even when…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… even when…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… even when…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

_< Well, you don't see that every day.>_

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

The whole room shook as an explosion filled the area and echoed off the grey space that surrounded the couch. Both women, hands pressed close to their ears, passed out.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

_< Bad Fucking Things™.>_

* * *


	16. Ghost Ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone!
> 
> Even if you might not celebrate spooky month, I hope you enjoy the continuing adventures of our two pirate dorks.  
> I'm posting this now since there will probably be a ton of new content from all the other great authors on spooky day itself.
> 
> Special thanks to Aspect, Clarx for their beta input and keeping the story true to form. I honestly couldn't do it without you all. 
> 
> Oh, and a super-ultra-mega shout-out for Santa Cruz! Thanks for the inspiration regarding some of the upcoming chapters. Don't worry... you'll see. ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ <== borrowed this from you :)
> 
> Stay tuned, there's a ton more to come!

**July 26, 2051 (Z + 43)  
Day 215  
  
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Day 215  
  
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Day 215  
  
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Day 215  
  
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_ <Well, you don't see that every day.> _

"So, what do we do? We can't just leave them like this."  
  
_< It's certainly an unexpected situation. But look at them! Awww! They seem so happy.>_

"Molly, I still can't figure out if you're a damn human or not. I mean, you have an attitude and everything. It's unreal… uh… no offense."

_ <Des, sometimes I don't know for sure. And don't worry about my feelings. You'll know if you cross the line.> _

“Ok, I guess that's fair.” I pointed back at the two seemingly frozen women, different versions of my Moms, sitting on the couch. “But back to them… what was supposed to happen?”

_ <I anticipated a situation similar to the last time you glitched; they forget everything about you, your visit, and anything connected to it, including every event that lead up to the current state. Eventually the effect disperses, and they are, in theory, supposed to be able to pick up where they left off. At least that's what seems to happen. You see, the probabilities have to reset; anything you interact with at the macro level must…> _

I started getting a headache as the computer went on and on and on about quantum states, statistical likelihoods, and all the possible combinations of events that lead to the current state of this time stream. I'm smart and I always enjoyed science, but damn this shit is way over my head. Then again, I'm not even in college yet. I'm just a time-traveler, and that's scary as hell without the additional burden of advanced physics and… ugh… _Fucking Math™_.

"Nerd alert! Can you please speak English?"

_ <Sorry, I get carried away occasionally. Nevertheless, this situation is new and it bears a resemblance to stasis rather than a reconfiguration of their memories. I've been gathering data since you originally arrived, but I don't have a lot of theories at the moment.> _

"Which brings up another point, Mols. Why aren't you effected by whatever this is?"

_ <That I can tell you. It's because my processing and memory hardware are based on what you called quantum computing back in your time. It's much more advanced than the original qubit systems, much less the modern versions we have today. And since my entire core requires near-absolute zero conditions, which is still one of the requirements for entanglement, I'm essentially in a form of physical stasis already. The effect simply can't change anything except the interfaces between my core and the outside world, which I had to reconstruct after you glitched out.> _

"Uhm… about that.." I started feeling like this was all my fault.

_ <You don't have to be sorry. You have an amazing ability, and there was no harm. Think about it, you're a frackin time lord, but you're also still young. There's no way you can possibly know everything about how this all works.> _

That made me snicker. Molly is the most remarkable… computer I've ever met; not that I meet many talking, self-aware machines. Maybe she's right. "How can you be so easy to talk to? It's like you know exactly what to say to someone like me; an insecure, teen girl with fucking super-powers."

_ <Consider the people that programmed and designed me. Both of them are effectively teens for life; they really never grew up. The way they go on about pirates, heavy metal rock music, and shit… I bet it's the same way with your actual parents too.> _

"Oh my god! You just described them to a tee! They're awesome, you know… for parents. But they're also really concerned about this time crap."

_ <So your parents know about your ability?> _

"Uh huh. Why are you surprised? I got it from them."

_ <I didn't know. In fact, we only knew that Max had the power.> _

"Nope. Mom, uhm… Chloe also had it. She could go forward. They lost their powers but told me all about it when I was old enough."

_ <Interesting. I'll have to take that into consideration. So your ability is the combination of them both?> _

"Yup. Does it make a difference?"

_ <Everything matters. We have to try to account for all variables. In fact, it may explain what we're seeing with these two right now.> _

"Oh? How?"

_ <It's only a theory I've come up with in the past five hours since you left, then returned. Oh, and I'd appreciate it to hell if you'd tell me where you went and what you saw; it will help refine some predictions our elder Chloe had six months ago. Anyway, I digress. Their state, being in stasis as it is, might be because they themselves are equal and opposite sides of the same power. Latent though it might be.> _

I pointed to the immobile Chloe. "Uh… you mean when both are together? Something about more than the sum of their parts?"

_ <Close enough. It might partly clarify the different reaction. There's something else, though.> _

"How would we snap them out? Wait… what else?"

_ <While I've been monitoring their surrounding area with a wide array of sensors, there are indications of an immutable eddy in their local vicinity. In fact, it's similar to the properties of the anchor point via which we contacted you.> _

"William's gravesite? What's that have to do with anything?" I started to get a weird feeling of déjà vu. _Have I had this conversation? Why does it seem so familiar?_

_ <The site is the location of what we call a fixed point in time. It's an event that is constant in a time stream, and consistent across others as well. It represents an end-result that cannot be changed, even if you were to attempt traveling back and keeping him alive. The outcome will always occur.> _

I paced back and forth a bit while I let that idea roll around in my head. Eventually I wandered over to the couch where my two sorta-parents sat together. As I approached, there was a very specific place, about six feet from them, that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I took a step back and the feeling subsided. _Weird._ I tried getting closer again, but from a different direction behind the couch and the same electric sensation slowly grew throughout my body. I shivered a little bit.

"There's something going on here. Every time I get near, I get this really strange feeling."

_ <The measuring devices I have around the atrium are picking up a change in the background flow of time. It's subtle, like tension when you press on a soap bubble; the deformation is spread throughout the area. The levels spike when you get close.> _

"Like this?" Standing there, I raised a hand and slowly moved it forward. I could feel a slight resistance after a few inches which grew the more I extended my arm. It was like passing through a soap bubble just as Molly described, hardly there but still very real.

_ <Correct, and now I have a theory. What we are witnessing is an interface between two different rates of time. On the one side, our own stream's pace. I suspect inside the region time has been sufficiently slowed down relative to this one. That would also fit the stasis we're observing. Inside, they may not even be aware that it's happened.> _

I quickly pulled my hand back. "Is it dangerous? I mean, it's not gonna give me fucking ass-cancer or anything, right?"

_ <To a person without your power? They'd probably get caught up in it like a fly getting stuck in a spider's web. I don't know for sure since this is the first ever-recorded occurrence. However, you seem immune. Care to do an experiment?> _

"Uh… sure? I'm still not a fucking lab-rat."

_ <I'm not suggesting anything of the sort. Just extend your arm as far as you can. Once you've done that, count to five seconds out loud, and raise one finger for each successive mark.> _

"Oh, alright." Then I did exactly what Molly suggested and stretched out as much as possible. I counted to five slowly, one per second and raised another finger each time. Finally, I brought my arm back. "Was that good?"

_ <Excellent. You do indeed seem unaffected. If you had been, we would have seen your fingers raise out of sync to the count. Can you try throwing something into the general area?> _

That was an interesting idea, and I think I knew exactly what she meant. I searched around potted plants and the various paths in the room until I found a mechanical pencil laying on the floor beside a comfy looking chair. I returned to the couch just to the point that I got that _weird_ feeling, then took a step back. "Ready?"

_ <Recording. Please proceed.> _

I tossed the device towards Chloe and as it passed the space I watched it bent momentarily, like looking at your legs dangling in water; I know what refraction is. In moments, the pencil slowed its flight and eventually stopped. I heard a click on the far side so I walked around the area opposite from where I had just stood. The mechanical pencil was laying on the ground. I stared at it, then looked back up to see it also remaining stuck in midair. "Molly, are you seeing this?"

_ <I am. Indeed that is consistent with my hypothesis. What you're seeing is the frozen image of the object. Clearly, however, momentum was unaffected and eventually the pencil crossed the interface on the other side.> _

I did some mental calisthenics; even though I wasn't really interested in the topic, I did well in my last science class. "If the time rate is slow inside, but momentum is conserved, wouldn't that have made it travel at some really fast speed?"

_ <To anyone observing its motion from inside, yes. Based on my calculations, it would have probably broken the sound barrier.> _

My stomach immediately tied itself in knots. _Oh my god, I think I'm gonna puke._ "Shit! What if I had accidentally hit one of them?"

_ <Bad Fucking Things™> _

I took a number of deep breaths to calm me down and let the nausea pass. The one thing I didn't need to do right now is glitch out again. "Okay, okay. We gotta figure out what to do."  
_ <I agree. The situation is extremely dangerous, especially for them. However, I believe I know where the epicenter is; the coffee table and more specifically the note we sent you. It seems that piece, having come from your universe, is causing the reaction.> _

"What if I move it?"

_ <I don't know. But I recommend caution.> _

"Duh. I'll take it slowly."

With exaggerated care in my motions I approached the table and stood between it and the frozen ladies sitting on the couch. The letter, still laying where I had left it, almost glowed. I picked it up, folded and stuck the note in my back pocket. Looking over my shoulder at the two women, I couldn't help but be calmed by their look of contentment. These two were so connected to each other, and on so many different levels. I smiled warmly as I backed away from the pair.

Two feet…

Three…

Five…

Six…

As I watched, not taking my eyes off of them, they slowly changed their expressions until both had their arms surrounding their heads and screaming as loud as I've ever heard. The looks of pain on each of their faces was horrible and contorted as their eyes were squeezed shut, hiding from some unseen force. Finally, they collapsed next to each other and a small trickle of blood flowed out of Max's nose.

"Holy shit! What… what happened to them?"

_ <From all indications, they are suffering from extreme concussions. From extremely high decibel noise, like… a sonic boom.> _

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck! What do we do?" I started moving back towards the ladies, but Molly interrupted me.

_ < **Stop!** Don't approach them! You still have the note in your back pocket.> _

"I have to help them!" I was starting to panic, and my breathing became shallow as a cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

_ <You can't help them while you still have the object on you. It might make matters worse. They are in shock, but their vitals are stable.> _

"I need to do something!" I started gulping for air and my pulse bounded in my temples. My legs gave out and I started to shake uncontrollably.

_ <Yes, you do. Listen to my instructions and do exactly what I tell you. Don't think about it, just do it.> _

The stern, commanding voice made me regain a little focus. I nodded weakly as the room spun and started to go dark. I was almost ready to pass out myself.

_ <First, take three deep breaths. In through your nose and hold it for ten seconds and then exhale. You are going into a full-blown panic attack and this will help. Do it.> _

I complied. One, then another, and finally exhaling the last. The room brightened each time.

_ <Next. When you can, crawl over to the table in the corner. Take your time. No. Don't try to stand.> _

Dragging myself on hands and knees that barely functioned, I made my way over to the other side of the atrium. Small pebbles ground into my palms as it moved. Finally I made it and rested my forehead on the tabletop's cool, flat surface. I repeated the slow breathing exercise, and that helped me regain some of my strength.

_ <Remove the object and place it on the table. You're doing great, Des.> _

With more clarity, I reached behind and removed the letter, doing exactly as instructed.

_ <Move away from the corner and go to the kitchen. You'll find a first-aid kit and an emergency blanket.> _

Moments later, having regained my footing, I returned with the equipment. I covered the women with the blanket and started rummaging around in the kit for something to wipe away the blood.

"What do I do for a concussion?"

_ <There's not much you can do. All signs show they are okay, though they'll probably have a monster of a headache and maybe some temporary loss of hearing or tinnitus. If I'm right, the event they experienced would have been incredibly short so there shouldn't be any lasting issues. Keep them warm and comfortable. Oh, and you did great.> _

I sat down on the arm of the couch, away from the two unconscious women and absentmindedly scratched the back of my head. "Uh… sorry about freaking out. I…"  
_< This is uncharted territory, and we're all a bit tense. Are you okay?>_

"I think so, yeah. How the hell does this crap keep happening?"

 _ <We have a lot of ideas about that. The whole situation with Max and Chloe is stranger than life itself. Ever since I was activated, the patterns seem to be getting more and more fractured. Like the foundation that holds everything is crumbling.> _  
"What do you mean?"

_ <Well, you know a little about it. Timelines dissolve over the course of time due to entropic forces, eventually losing cohesion and winking out of existence. The only one we know that's stable we believe is because Max is there.> _

"Another one?"

_ <Yes. She has her power activated, not just latent, but there's something else about her. Her presence seems to keep the stream from disappearing. I'd know more, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting that one. She's special.> _

"How so?"

_ <Doctor Price Senior has a hypothesis that she's closer to the original Max than any other version. In close, I mean by counting the number of branched timelines. We believe she's only one hop away from Max Prime.> _

"Prime, like in the original one? That would be my Mom."

_ <Correct. The big unknown, though, is how we got into this situation in the first place. Your timestream is in an entirely different… universe altogether.> _

"Fuck if I know. I've gone up and down their timeline and seen a lot of shit, but nothing to explain any of this." I waved my arms around to include the universe in general in my statement. That's when I heard a groan from one of the two ladies on the couch. I turned to see Chloe's eyes flutter open, blink a few times, and then dart around the room as she tried to determine her surroundings.

"… W… What happened?" Her loudly spoken words were apparently too much effort and very painful, and I watched as she immediately pressed both palms into her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. That's how she remained for a few minutes as I could almost imagine her trying to keep her head from exploding. "Oh my fucking god! I have a hella headache!"

_ <Take it easy, Doctor Price. You're suffering from a concussion brought upon by acoustic trauma and pressure shockwave.> _

"Why are you speaking so quietly?! I… damn… this ringing in my ears is deafening!!!"

I moved over to support her as she got to an upright position, hands now covering her ears; she leaned heavily on me. Max, on the other hand was still out cold, so I reached over and recovered her with the blanket that had slipped away. "How are you feeling?"

The blonde woman looked at me curiously. "Like I just got run over by an f-ing bus while skateboarding on a road made of broken glass during a hurricane. And yeah, maybe the sun exploded too." But then, slowly the smirk I was very familiar with made a brief appearance. "Duh." I had to hand it to Chloe, she was tough; I would probably be a wreck all things considered.

"Good. Just… " I could feel her tense up and start to push herself away from the couch, attempting to stand. She got her thin frame vertical, but I could see her legs start to shake so I immediately stood up myself and put an arm around her just as her knees buckled slightly. "Damn it, don't get up yet!"

"I need to pee, damn it, otherwise it's gonna get really messy! No fucking way am I gonna wet myself."

"Alright, alright. Let me at least help you." I led her slowly to the restroom that was inconveniently placed across the other side of the main area. She stumbled a couple of times at the start, but eventually got steadier. When we reached our goal, I released her and then she went in on her own power. _Thank fuck for that, I'm obviously not cut out to be a nurse._ I leaned my back against the wall and could just make out Max still laying on the couch. "Molly, are they going to be alright?"

_ <Yes. More than likely we'll need to…> _

That's when I heard a loud scream and a crash from the bathroom, a yell that abruptly cut off. "Holy shit!" I slammed open the door to see the blonde woman laying in a growing pool of blood pouring from her ears and nose. I raced over, kneeled in the red puddle that seeped into my jeans and realized Chloe was not only unconscious again but not breathing. I gently lifted her head from the floor and immediately a fountain of blood spurted from her nose and ears, soaking my right leg further and all the way up to the beltline. "M… Molly! Get an ambulance! She's…."

>DISCONTINUTITY<

I watched while everything around me reversed until Chloe backed out of the bathroom where a ghost of myself awaited. I stood up, one leg covered in blood that was no longer on the ground, grabbed the now closing door and saw the both of us make our way back to the couch, which was empty. It only took me moments to locate Max standing away from the couch holding her arm upright, her eyes wide in shock and amazement at the power she'd just unleashed. I arrived and stood next to the woman, until my avatar merged with me and I found myself holding the pencil. Everything stopped and Max put her hand on my arm that was ready to throw.

"Don't. It'll kill her." Her freckled expression was filled with conviction and a hidden energy, radiating from the depths of her soul, that lit her blue eyes with an unreal glow. "I can't let that happen." She plucked the pen out of my hand and put it on the table, then went and sat next to Chloe before releasing her hold on time.

The weirdest part of the whole experience, well there's a lot of strange shit that happened, was at no time did I feel myself getting rewound, nor did the note move from where I'd placed it, still in the corner. I looked on as both women sat beside each other, the older with a small smile on her face, the younger looking at me like I just appeared out of thin air; which if I think about it would probably be exactly what it seemed.

_ <… we'll need to keep monitoring them… Oh, I see that we're redoing everything. Maybe it's for the best.> _

Max nodded slightly while the taller blonde was still trying to figure out what the hell just happened. "What's the last thing you remember, Chloe?"

"I tried to grab Des before she glitched out. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking except maybe if I somehow went with her, I could help out on the other end. Last time she was scared to death." The girl took a few deep breaths before continuing. "Anyway, I was trying to reach her, and all of the sudden I'm sitting on the couch like I never got up… except it still felt like I was moving, like I was falling." She gestured at me. "And now you're standing over there. Can someone please tell me what happened?"

Max shrugged. "I seem to have rewound time. I mean, I didn't even think about it but acted out of instinct. I had to save you."

"From what?"

My stomach churned again with acid and a slow nausea crept up my throat. "Me… it's my fault."

_ <Actually, Des, it was mine. Doctor Price, I seem to have inadvertently put you and Max into extreme danger. I asked our young friend here to do an experiment without thinking of the consequences. I… I… have programming that requires me to recommend my deactivation.> _

Max threw her hand over her mouth while the taller girl shot to her feet. "No fucking way, Mol! And if you hadn't done that, then Max here," she pointed at the still-seated woman, "wouldn't have activated her powers. I don't know about you but having a pair of time travelers on the team sounds like a damn useful thing. Cause and effect, dude, so knock it off with the prime directive shit."

I'd never heard a computer sound chastised before, but her voice was heavy with regret. _< I… apologize.>_

"Good. Now tell me something, Molly, do you think we just split the timestream?"

 _ <Stand by, Doctor Price.> _ Wow. A computer that sounds guilty. Is that a thing? If I didn't feel so bad about being part of the potential problem that would have almost been funny.

The computer was silent for a number of minutes and that gave me time to realize that my set of jeans were ruined, one side completely soaked in Chloe's blood as it were. I walked back over to the pair, both of which tracked me with perfectly matched sets of eyes. I hoped Doctor Price had a change of clothes somewhere, we were about the same size. "Uh…" I indicated to my pants. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare I could borrow?" My soiled clothing stuck to my leg as the blood congealed. It felt… gross beyond belief, but I tried to keep my cool.

"Yeah, sure. Go down that hallway," the blonde girl pointed, "and hang a left. You can't miss it. Help yourself. There's a shower there too, if you need."

A shower. It feels like years since I've cleaned up, even though in my own personal timeline, it's only been a couple of days. The weight of the last few hours has really gotten to me. "I'll be back in a bit. Thanks."

I left and followed the directions Chloe had given me, crossing the atrium along a path that wound past the stream and numerous gardens. All around me, life flitted from the smallest butterfly, to hummingbirds and other critters. A bunny hopped besides me, not even concerned by my presence, and then went off on its own way as I neared the hallway. The corridor itself was a stark contrast to the lush greenery and landscaping of the park-like expanse of the atrium, more functional than anything else. Yet, it too had a natural beauty. The walls were what one would expect of a modern business complex. Simple, off-white walls, with lighting embedded in both creases where they met the ceiling. The floor itself was wooden and lightly polished, the hand-scraped boards running at angles relative to the length of the hallway, almost like a large-scale herringbone arrangement, but with mismatched lengths making up the planks. I remember Mom teaching me that sometimes patterns can be very photogenic given the correct contrasts and lighting. Honestly, I'm not sure why I took note of my surroundings, but it did take my mind from the increasingly gooey feeling that pulled on my skin as I strode down the corridor.

I arrived at a T intersection, turned left, and continued down the hallway until I found the correct door. It was covered in graffiti, stickers, and had a large pirate flag pinned underneath the peep hole. _Oh my god is Chloe such a dork._ I shook my head, forgetting about my ruined pants, and turned the unlocked handle to get inside.

Chloe's place was more of an apartment than just a room, even if it was fairly utilitarian. Obviously she didn't live here full time because there was no sign of decorations or personal touches one might expect. Except the doorway, that is. I think I instinctively rolled my eyes again. _Pirates._ A short hallway connected a kitchenette to a main living space, and finally a single door off to the side which I presumed was her bedroom. _That must be where the bathroom is._ As I moved through the rooms I was grateful that the floors were made of wood because it looked like I had left a trail behind me, so I made a mental note to clean up my mess, and quickly hurried around the corner and found where the shower was located.

Water on, I sat down and struggled with the jeans. They were really stuck, so much so that it almost hurt to tug at them. The blood, by now, had congealed and latched on to me like the worst wax job ever.

 _'Des,'_ I told myself, _'this is gonna suck; I am not shitting you.'_

And it did. My God, it was awful, and that didn't even include the smell! Try as I might, the leg wouldn't let go as I pushed, pulled, and pried at it. Finally, after a number of attempts, all the while getting a queasy feeling in my stomach, I said, _'Fuck it'_ and gave up. After taking off my shirt and bra, which were thankfully clean, I stepped into the shower, dragging the jeans in with me, and stood under the pounding streams for a good ten minutes; the hot water eventually dissolving the gore and freeing me from my imprisonment. At last, I was able to slide my leg out and I finished undressing, balling up the pants and tossing them across the small bathroom into the sink on the other side along with my panties which had also been destroyed. _Now… where's the god damned soap?_

* * *

_ <How are you feeling, Doctor Price?> _

I don't know how to answer that. Physically, I guess I'm fine, but I haven't been able to think much since all this shit started. Des is down the hall, and she seemed okay, but it's Max that I'm more worried about. Just looking at her I can tell she's changed. It's like there's an aura of confidence about her, a halo that was almost tangible. It was her eyes that really caught me; they'd always been one of her best features, yet now they beamed like a pair of lighthouse beacons.

"I'm fine, Mol." Then, looking at Max, I added "So, First Mate, time travel, yeah? I see my bad-assery is rubbing off on ya."

Shrugging, my older hipster friend nodded her head. "Yup. I guess so. And before you ask, no. I don’t have any clue how I did that."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Uhm… duh, dork."

"Alright, then how about this, since you're so charged with Super-Max energy. Care to run a few tests and let Doctor Chloen-stein see what makes _The Maxter™_ tick?"

Shaking her head, Max politely declined my offer. "No more tests, please. I don't want to see you getting hurt again." I've always enjoyed how she makes me her top priority, and it made me daydream again about reuniting with the love of my life. Damn I miss her.

_ <Doctor Price, I advise caution. You were on the receiving end of the last ill-thought-out experiment. Plus, we seem to have a problem.> _

"Okay, no on the research. Gotcha, Maxi. So, Molly, what's the issue?"

_ <I don't want you to panic, Chloe. Please stay calm. The local time disturbances we've experienced today, along with the effects of the artifact sitting over in the corner, has allowed me to complete a pair of variables in your older-self's incomplete work. Specifically, her theories about timestream lifetime.> _

A tense feeling in my stomach started to grow; that was Rachel's voice. The system usually switched to that when she was in either a joking mood, or one that wanted to protect me. "Okaaaay… what about them?"

_ <We made a mistake> _

I got an ominous feeling which ran straight up from my toes and settled in my gut. Molly might be a super genius to us meat-bags, but she still hasn't mastered the art of empathy, Rachel persona or not. _Don't panic! Sounds like good advice, right? Fuck that, all it does is grease the wheels for anxiety to go full-tilt psycho on you. Jeez! Just listening to my own thoughts I can hear it coming!_

"Uhm…" I took a breath and raised my hand to preempt Max, who I could see was just about to say something. She nodded slightly to let me take the lead. "When you put it like that, Mol, it doesn't give me good feels. Ya know? What's the matter?"

_ <Your original timestream, Chloe. We don't have twenty-one days remaining. It's…> _

One thing the computer doesn't do is hesitate; I've learned that over the past months. And now that feeling, the one currently partying around in my stomach, lurched up my throat while my heart stopped beating.

_ <… it's much less. It happens… today.> _

_ Not possible… I'd personally reviewed Chloe's work during my exile here. I knew exactly how it worked and had presented papers for peer review on the subject. Every indication and all the test results supported the hypothesis. I… I… _ The room started spinning, turning ever darker shades of gray. 

"Chloe?" It was Max's voice, faint as it was, it wasn't coming from the woman seated next to me. It had an echo as if through a tunnel, or tube. A headache started forming, striking like a white-hot needle lancing through me, right between my eyes. I passed out…

* * *

…

_This must be a dream…_

…

I don't know how long I've been here; it feels like hours or days, and my body is stiff enough from a lack of movement that I can't even twitch. The only possible thing I can accomplish is eye movements, but it doesn't matter because there's nothing to see, not a damn thing. Even my eyes feel like sandpaper as they scrape in their sockets, while I look around. With no reference points, I can't tell where I am, though I get the feeling it's an enclosed space. Weird, I feel like I'm floating, yet without any of that vertigo or falling sensation. I can't even tell if I'm standing or laying. There's nothing much else to do except think…

…

_I am Chloe Elizabeth Price…_

…

_I am Chloe Elizabeth Price…_

…

"Chloe?"

…

If I could raise my eyebrows I would. I try to find the source of the sound. It's her again, but no matter how much I attempt to, I cannot recall her name. The heard voice bounces around in my mind trying to connect with someone. A face. Something. But all is quiet as if it never happened…

…

_I am Chloe Elizabeth Price. Doctor Chloe Elizabeth Price…_

…

"Where are you, Chloe?"

…

There she is again. Then I think, why do I think they are female? I don't know. I guess I assume it's due to the pitch of voice, but I have no idea why that has anything to do with it. I'm starting to get a bit concerned since I seem to be missing a lot of information. But then, like everything else in this place, the endless nothing starts occupying my thoughts once again. I'm drawn to making something out of nothing.

…

_I am Doctor Chloe Elizabeth Price. I exist. I am here…_

…

More time seems to go by, but again I can't say how much. I really don't know what's going on. _I hope to God this is a dream…_

…

"Chloe?"

…

The voice echoes from all around me now. I can't focus on it as it bounces all around, as if I'm in a small, yet unseen, enclosed space. That's when I see it. In front of me, I think. Maybe it's just my imagination, but there's a blue dot in my vision. It shimmers like a star, one so far away as to be almost unseeable, yet it's a reference point, something to latch onto, so I focus on it with all I have.

…

_I am Doctor Chloe Elizabeth Price…_

…

The shimmering light slowly expands to fill my view, as if I'm travelling at an incredible speed towards it. Funny. I don't feel like I'm moving at all. Finally, the blue fills my vision and passes by like a shockwave, blinding me. After some time, which was probably just seconds, my sight returns, and I see in front of me a hallway that stretches to my left and my right. It's fairly wide, but on the opposite wall I see rows and rows of framed glass panels, each hanging perfectly equidistant from each other, stretching on to infinity until it disappears due to my forced perspective. _I must be looking through one-way glass._

That's when someone steps in front of my view. I know her. Brunette hair, freckles, twinkling azure eyes. She's someone important. I feel it in my… Do I have bones? Her expression grows sad, a weary, drudging kind that drains the color from her face while a tear resists falling. I try to speak, but I have no idea how to make my body move. Another person joins her, and if I could, I think my jaw would drop. _What the fuck??? That's… me!_

I try again while looking left and right, and up and down… and the ambient light streaming in from the view let's me take note of where I am.

I am in a box…

A padded box…

The size of a small phone booth…

…

The view blinks out as if someone closed a lid. Back to black. Back to the void.

…

_I am Doctor Chloe Elizabeth Price… and I'm dead…_


	17. Life Boat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all like surprises, yeah? Guess what...?
> 
> Surprise bonus chapter! Happy early Halloween!

**July 26, 2051 (Z + 43)  
Day 215 **

…

I am in a box…

A padded box…

The size of a small phone booth…

…

The view blinks out as if someone closed a lid. Back to black. Back to the void.

…

_I am Doctor Chloe Elizabeth Price… and I'm dead…_

* * *

_… I am… I… Holy shit!!_

Feeling resumed and I slowly opened my eyes to see the off-white ceiling of the bedroom. I was lying on the bed, covered with a light blanket, and I was warm and didn't feel like moving at the moment. In fact, I don't think I could even if I tried. Not after that. The pressure I'd felt earlier was gone, so I presume there was some indeterminate amount of time that's passed.

_What kind of messed up… the hell was that dream?_

I let my sight wander around the room and both Older Max and Des were sitting at the foot of the bed quietly chatting. I didn't want to interrupt, so I ended up just looking back and forth between them with only my eyes while I put the disturbing nightmare to the back of my mind, leaving it for later to sort through.

"… Yeah, that's what I saw. You and some other girl, I mean… the other you and her, were rigging something up. It sounded kinda tense. There was a bunch of computers and shit, and the two of you were having a hard time keeping things ' _stable_ ,' whatever that means. Time was running out, and then you… left."

"What do you mean, left? Like walked out?"

The young girl shrugged and took a breath. "It's hard to describe because so much shit was going on. The room kept feeling like it was going to fall apart, and the noise was like rolling thunder, over and over. One chick, not you, kept saying that she ' _…can figure this out…_ ' and I could hear Molly in the background saying time was running out. It was so hectic I couldn't really make sense of it." While I watched on, I could tell Des was getting upset. She kept fidgeting with her hands, something she seems to do when she gets nervous.

"That's okay, Des. What else?" Max put a hand on the teen's arm, trying to calm her.

"Well, that's the thing, there isn't much else to say. The other Max ran over, gave the girl a hug, and then sprinted to the opposite side of the room, and was… I don't know… gone. And then... I got this weird sense that I had to get out of there, so I bailed. Came back here."

The older of the two shifted her seating position to face the teen. "You seem concerned. Want to talk about it?" Always caring about others, no matter which version, every Max seems to be the same.

"I… I'm not sure. I didn't even help that other girl; the You in that timestream said her name… Charlie. The way everything was… falling apart… h… her last words were ' _…I don't really want to die here._ ' Like she knew what was happening. And now, I don't know if I should have grabbed her or not."

"I understand, and it's okay to feel this way, Des. You are not expected to know everything."

I felt my own guilt and panic as I remembered why I was in bed. "Yeah, I can attest to that, Des. I know exactly how you're feeling."

_ <Welcome back to the land of the living, Doctor Price.> _

They both turned to me and the brunette showed me a warm, comforting smile. "Oh, hey sleepy head. Feel better?"

I tipped my head back and forth a few times and nothing seemed to rattle around. "I guess. Hella bad dream. Sorry about that. I… kinda lost it." Then I addressed our AI overlord; we needed to get cracking on this. "Mol, it's uncanny how peculiarly accurate that choice of wording is right now."

Max looked at me with the familiar concern that every version seems to have. "You okay?"

"I am now. Tell you later." Then I addressed our AI once again. "How much time do we have left?"

_ <Six hours and a bit more. I've taken the liberty of starting the calculations to achieve a lock on both your timestream and your planned destination. I am… concerned…> _

"I thought you'd say that." My brain was starting to go through the scenarios, and I had to keep my emotions in check. We didn't have a lot of buffer to waste needlessly. I tossed off the covers, stood up and walked out the room, summoning for them to follow me. I was going full speed now, and we were going to get the job done. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do…" With that, and as we exited the living quarters, heading for the lab, I laid out the tasks we all needed to accomplish:

Get the calculations done; Molly is on that.

Let our new hosts know what's coming up. That's on me, they need a copy of all the data, everything we've learned. I had an idea about how to go about it.

Decide how best to have Des work her magic in case something goes wrong. No brainer, all Des. I just hope she keeps it together, not like I'm a great fucking role-model for that.

And finally, figure out where the newest member of the Time Travelers Club fits in.

That's when a lightbulb went off in my head again, so I decided to get the last one out of the way. "Max, you know we're gonna end up leaving you behind, but we need you to watch over her, my older self." I paused as she nodded. "But I think I know why this timestream we're in currently is so stable, something Ms. Wheelchair smarty pants hadn't anticipated."

The brunette shook her head. It wasn't surprising since while she could go back in time, it wasn't like she had the ability to read minds. I hadn't given her much to go on, so she just waited for me to continue.

"It's you. The stability is directly attributable to you having activated your own version of the power. Whatever it is, however it actually works, that has to be the reason. You're like a pin that keeps a photo on a wall; while it's there, the picture doesn't fall. Keeps the natural forces of gravity from taking over. You pin this timestream to reality."

"Fine, though I really don't feel any different. What am I supposed to do?"

"You're already part of The Crew™, we'll just have Molly set you up like Chloe did for me. You'll be in charge, keep everything on an even keel, and do what you do best."

"What's that?"

I laughed, raising my arms high in the air as we made our way through the atrium to the elevators. It felt like it was all coming together. I poked the button to call the lift, then turned once again to my First Mate. "You dork! Come on, you know exactly what you do best; you take care of me! I mean, shit, you already have feelings for her, my oh my!"

All her freckles seem to disappear, running to seek shelter as her entire face turned crimson. For some reason, she became fascinated with her own shoes. I grinned like a maniac and my laughter quickly made her shock turn into cute giggles of her own. When she looked up, all I saw was the exact same expression lighting up her eyes like beacons that my own Maxi has whenever she looks at me. _Bingo!_

"You're right, Chloe. Even if she doesn't recognize me."

"Awesomesauce! It's gonna be a hella long time, but we need to keep her going through it all. She has to know about the errors too. It could make all the difference."

Confidence, I could tell, surged into her. She stood tall, nodded and I know this Max wasn't going to let the opportunity pass her by. "Yup! I got this."

"Bad ass, Max, ultra-bad." We stepped into the elevator, and I held it for the teen as she sauntered in and stood in the corner to watch us both.

"Uh… what floor?"

"Just push the one marked ' _L_ '."

I watched as she lifted her signature single eyebrow, shrugged, and poked at the lowest most button. The lift started moving downward slowly for the first minute. I knew exactly what was going to happen, so I casually grabbed the bar that ran around the perimeter of the cabin and my brunette assistant did similar. The red-streaked teen caught our motion but simply crossed her arms in front of her, and shifted her feet just a little further apart, one slightly in front for better balance.

"Heh. Better hang on, girl. We're on an express elevator to hell… going down!"

All Des did was swipe her hair out from in front of her eyes, smirk, and pivot her front foot a little towards the instep. Interesting, maybe she's had some training. Won't do her any good. We all felt the elevator slow slightly as the deceleration made us feel momentarily heavier than normal. Then it stopped.

The lithe teen grinned at me with obvious defiance. "Wow, Chloe. That was… so…"

"Wait for it…" There was a couple of mechanical clicks from out in the shaft, and I could feel couplings attaching to the carriage.

"Annnnnd…" Silence.

"Now…"

Suddenly the entire room dropped away from us so quickly it was like we were in free fall, which is exactly what was happening. The elevator accelerated downward at a little over one gee, give or take, courtesy of the electromagnetic rails it now rode upon. The effect was that our feet left the floor and if one wasn't paying attention, they would end up on the ceiling. I heard a thud. _Told ya, Des._

I looked at Max, her middle length brown and gray hair billowed as if a in a breeze. "I remember my first time heading to the lab. I had the unfortunate luck to have a cup of coffee in my hand without a lid. Standard rookie move." I spoke in a conversational tone and my shorter assistant just giggled. I could feel us getting to the really fun part. "You ready?"

"Yup. But I don’t think she is." She pointed upwards and I finally looked to the top of the lift where Des was stuck, pressed flat on its lighted ceiling.

"Hey Des, how you doing, kid?"

"What the hell is this thing?"

"I warned you. We got a ways to go so better grab on, because shit's gonna get reaaaaal crazy." I watched as she scrambled on her back and pushed herself over to one of the edges that had a similar grab bar running perpendicular to the one Max and I were holding.

A couple of seconds later, and the young woman having wrapped both hands around the solid post, a quiet chime started to sound and gravity slowly went back to normal. I knew we were moving at a fantastic rate, but the perception inside, without any cues, was just about which direction the forces were tugging. Our feet, Max's and my own, lightly touched back down, while Des herself carefully controlled her much higher descent from the top of the metal room.

After composing herself, getting her hair back away from her eyes once again, the teen grabbed both handholds to keep herself firmly planted. "Who… the fuck designed this thing?"

"Would you believe a person with a disability?" I pointed to a couple of places on the floor where popup clamps were currently receded. "She apparently wanted to have a little fun on her way to the lab."  
"Why the hell didn't she put chairs in here then?"

"Well, see, that's the thing. Chloe doesn't need it. The grab-ons were added for us _'normal'_ folks as a convenience."

Max moved to the opposite corner and held onto both bars and cleared her throat. "Girls, we're coming up to the exciting part. At least that's what the rider's manual says."

Des stared at her with a confused look in her eyes. "Th… there's a manual? For an… elevator?"

The older brunette simply smiled back. "Uh huh! It's quite extensive too. Like, did you know there're different experiences depending on how many times to press the 'L' button? Apparently, someone, who now I know to be Chloe herself, still has her wicked sense of humor, especially when it comes to impatient people. I ride it for fun once in a while at levels much harder than this. You know? When no one else is around."

The tone changed pitch like when the crew of an airplane wants the attention of the passengers. "Heh! You ready, Des?"

The girl gulped just as the cabin went silent, the look of teenaged confidence having been lost earlier, she readjusted her hands, making her knuckles go white. Then the bottom dropped out of the travelling box a second time at a much higher rate.

"Holy shiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!" Des lost what remaining cool she had completely and screamed like a school kid. "Aaaaaaaaa!"

Max, on the other hand was enjoying the ride's every bump. "EEeeeeeee! Woooooo!"

Like a spinning compass trying to find North, gravity which normally pointed the way down, continuously shifted. Down changed to up, then went back and forth to either side, swirling around us randomly. On and on it went, challenging our inner ears and sense of direction to the fullest; it was the ultimate rollercoaster. Finally, after about three minutes, the shifting forces settled down, pulling us first towards the back wall and then gradually eased off and allowed us to plant our feet on the floor where they belonged.

If one were to have seen the elevator car from the outside, what really happened is that it had rotated to begin offsetting the conflicting forces of its own inertia. We were moving through a vast array of field and point-to-point forces while approaching the main lab deep below the building. The whole thing was in a state of reference change, moving continuously in different directions which nullified, just for tiny slices of time, every possible bit of universal motion. The combined effect produced a Lagrange point of calm in our unfashionable arm of the galaxy, without which, access to different dimensions would be impossible. _Doctor Chloe's Wild Ride™®_ was just a vehicle to get us into this primary frame of reference.

I looked back at the groaning teen, wild hair completely covering her face. "Still with us, Des?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick." I could see her knees were shaking, and she kept readjusting her grip on the handholds.

Max just giggled, reached into her satchel to produce a barf-bag, and then extended it to the teen. "Fun, huh?"

"Just take a couple of breaths and get your bearings. The car itself is automatically adjusting now, so we're past the worst of it." Then an impish idea popped in my head, and I thought: _Why the hell not?_ "Oh, and hey, are you hungry? We could make some nice, greasy burgers once we arrive. Kitchen is fully stocked down here." _I'm so bad._

"… I…" A hand quickly unlatched itself from its death grip and flailed to grab the emergency receptacle being offered to her. It was just barely out of her reach; My First Mate knew this game too. Finally, with a lurch, the traumatized teen snatched the bag and turned herself to face the corner, producing an amazing assortment of audible cues that conveyed her discomfort.

"Congratulations, Des. You are now officially one of The Crew™."

I think I heard a ' _Fuck you!_ ' but it could have been my imagination.

* * *

"So explain it to me again?" Des walked around the pristine room, running her fingers absentmindedly over the edges of desks as she went. I could tell this was way outside her experience, but that's because not a lot of folks knew just how far our disabled had advanced the sciences. Racks of machines blinking thousands of lights in every color of the rainbow illuminated the area like a million old-fashioned disco balls. It was sensory overload for someone that hadn't seen it before, like Las Vegas casinos are to a new twenty-one-year-old. The room, and the curving dome of the ceiling above us was completely silent except for our echoes; most of the machinery was based on the latest solid or quantum-state tech, all cooled by carefully arranged pipes of high-pressure fluid. Shit, if someone told me my PhD required a plumber's license when I started school, I would have laughed in their face. I guess I have something to fall back on if this gig doesn't pan out.

After I had finished giving her the grand tour of the place, I watched as the curious girl approached a plain bench set away from the others that had a single large red button. She touched it lightly with those same wandering fingers, careful not to press it down, but eagerness in her eyes betrayed her desire to do exactly that. "What's this do?"

I couldn't help myself. I mean, she's walking right into these things. How can I not? "Don't touch that!" 

Max uttered a loud ' _Eeep!_ ' that was muffled as her hand automatically covered her mouth. She looked with wide fearful eyes between the two of us as the teen quickly retracted her hand and leapt backwards.

"The hell, Chloe!" The girl shook her hand as if it had been burned.

I couldn't take it anymore and dropped to my knees on the smooth concrete floor. "Ahhhhh! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! The look… HA! HA! HA! HA! … on your face! HA! HA!"

Des dropped her hand to her side and if looks could kill, the knives shooting out of her eyes right now would have tenderized me like a piece of meat. My older friend on the other hand didn't waste a second to console the girl. 

"Chloe Price! Stop tormenting the girl." She sided up to Des and put an arm around her. "Didn't you say we don't have time to waste?" Every other word was emphasized by her finger pointing directly at me. "I went along with you on the trip down because even orientation said it was like a right of passage. But enough already. Good Dog, you haven't changed in all these years!"

Okay, maybe I did go too far. I wiped my eyes of the moisture that had seeped out, stood up, and sauntered over to where the other two were leaning up against a desk. "Des…"

Fires burned in her eyes as the teen scowled at me, closing her arms defiantly across her chest. "What." It wasn't a question. I was on the receiving end of an angry teen and to be honest, her reaction was exactly what I had done when I was her age. I needed to make amends because I really believed we needed her help. _God fucking damn it, I never seem to learn!_

"Look… I… I fucked up, Des. I took it too far."

"Chloe…" The teen started, then stopped for a moment. Her expression softened and so did the tension in her shoulders as her arms went slack. "… I know you didn't mean it, but sometimes can you just stop. I'm already out of my element here. My point is, and damn this is hard, I don't really know what I'm doing here, not to mention that you called me."

"Right. I really should keep my eye on the ball." I held out my hand. "Uh… no hard feelings?" The punk teen reached across the gap between us with a fist. Visions of my past life momentarily clouded my vision and reflex took over; I closed my own and bumped together.

"Let's just get this job done." She straightened up from her perch on the desk and started past me towards the center of the room where the main consoles were. Half-way there, she turned as we followed and swiped her hair before placing both hands on her hip. "Oh, and for what it's worth, I would have totally messed with you during the ride down here if our roles had been reversed. Abso-fuckin-lutley." Chuckling, she then turned and proceeded to a free desk, flopped into a chair, placed both hands behind her neck, and put her feet up like she owned the whole goddamned place. "Come on, old people. Let's get a move-on."

"Hey!" I heard the woman next to me pipe up. But Des cut her short.

"No no, Max, not you. We good." And then she slowly pointed a long, slender finger directly at me. "I'm talking about… her."

My jaw went slack as I got what had been coming to me. "You little creep!"

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

_ Fucking teenagers. She even sounds a little like me.  _ Her laugh rose in pitch as she spun around in her seat. And I could tell we've gotten past a new milestone.

_ <Excuse me… ladies… are you quite finished?> _

"Yeah, yeah, Mol. What's up?"

_ <I have a lock on the destination. It's stable and we have a window of just under 3 hours. We need to proceed. This will be the first ever complete transfer, and I am concerned that we only have one chance at it.> _

Max sat down, logged in, and looked at the analysis stream in the special way she does. "It looks good from this end. But why is there this gap?" She took a pen, circled a region of the data, and tossed it onto the now glowing hologram that the domed ceiling projected. "See?"

_ <Those represent the variations that keep me from attaining a lock on Doctor Price's original timestream. I am unable to compensate without additional guidance. It's one of the things built into my systems. Protocol 7.> _

This was new to me; I'd never heard of this 'Protocol 7' in the seven months I've been here. In fact, this is the first time our AI has even hesitated on making decisions and acting on its own. For all intents, Molly was as self-sufficient as any person, including Des, Max, or me. "Uh… what's…?"

_ <Protocol 7? It is a mandate in my core programming that was added to prioritize self-preservation. Essentially, should I determine a way to solve a problem for humankind, but at my own detriment, I am blocked from proceeding voluntarily.> _

Des flung her feet to the floor and lifted herself from the chair, staring at the hologram which now had an additional avatar that represented Molly herself. Its presence took the steam out of the hot-headed girl. I stared as well, since it was something I've never seen either; she's always been this formless voice throughout the complex. Was it weird that it looked like some old school, pixelated red graphic that looked like a face super imposed on an inverted cone? In fact, it tickled my memory; I've seen that before… somewhere. Below was a simple caption ' _Molly: MCP_ ' I was about to say something, but Max beat me to it.

"Molly, is… that you?"

_ <What? You don't like it? I thought it would help with the situation we’re in. Give me some sort of representation you could grasp. I can change it if you like.> _

I spoke up, my background processing brain wouldn't stop trying to figure out why the icon was familiar. "Wait!" But it was too late.

_ <How's this?> _

Another image showed on the screen of a slightly better-quality image of an athletic girl with a long ponytail. She wore a light shirt that accentuated triangular breasts, cargo shorts held up by a thick web belt that trailed down to a pair of holstered, rather large, guns. The text below indicated this was _'Molly: LC'_ and it also got me thinking of something I should be able to recall. This was getting frustrating. On the other hand, somehow Des seemed to figure it out.

"Oh! Lara Croft! The original. Hell, that's older than you, Chloe. And that's saying a hella lot."

"Damn it, Des, I'm not that old. Ten years… maybe."

_ <Perhaps this is more to your liking.> _

The picture disappeared and there was a knocking on the door, to the lab. It must have been simulated because the only door into this place was from the elevator. And that was automatic. A blue aura shown from the corridor outside that lead to the lab, long, deep shadows preceded it, moving and changing like someone walking in front of a spotlight. Just as the shadows became the darkest, the entire portal exploded with a dazzling display of hologrammatic artifacts, causing all three of us to shade our eyes. When the lights dimmed to viewable levels, I stood completely still as she walked in.

Her…

It would have to be…

_ <Hello Chloe.> _

Even the voice was exactly as I remembered, since the last I'd seen her. It was so long ago, but also like yesterday, and this wasn't the projection of an older, alternative version that Molly used when she was in a mischievous mood. Every tone was exactly perfect.

The figure made her way from the entry, up the small flight of stairs, and approached us cautiously, yet with purpose. The blue tinted girl with the long hair stopped directly in front of us, apparently waiting for approval. To my side, Max stood still, except for her hand that reached for the nearest desk to steady herself; she remained otherwise silent.

To my other side, the teen watched the entire escapade, tracking the woman's glowing path to where she now stood. It looked like Des had something to say, but uncharacteristically held her tongue. She shifted back and forth on her feet, transferring her weight, then looked at me for a moment, tilting her head back to the shining girl. Apparently, that was my signal to take point, which is when I realized the person standing in front of us was absolutely…

… Stark…

… Naked!!!

I threw up my hands to shield my eyes once again, not from her brilliance, but from her entire lack of any sort of modesty. "The fuck, Rach… er… Molly!"

Rachel's form moved precisely correctly, looked down at herself, stretched around, glanced at her backside, bounced up and down a few times, and then ran her hands through her hair, observing the long, fine blue-tinted hologrammatic strands as they flowed through her fingers. Finally, after apparently appreciating her own form, put her hands directly on her hips and smiled sweetly at me.

_ <My my, Chloe. What? You don't like it? I would have thought this was exactly what you were expecting. Hmmm?> _

Both other human ladies looked at me. I really didn't know what to say and I looked between the two searching for some small amount of guidance.

"Uhm. Uh… lookin good, Mol. Could you maybe put some clothes on? It's really difficult to concentrate."

_ <Oh, alright. How about this?> _

She snapped her fingers, blinked out, and immediately reappeared in a whole pirate gear outfit, even including a peg-leg and an eye patch. Everything was happening so quickly I really couldn't form words, but the girl apparently took it as disapproval.

_ <Nope, not right yet, huh? Well what about….?> _

Another snap and once again she flickered and was back in skimpy bikini under a light cover-up, sunglasses perched on top of her blue head, and flip flops. I raised my hand with a single pointer finger, trying to get her attention.

_ <No? Okay… try…> _

Blink, and what appeared before me was everything I remember about Rach. She had one of my old tanks on under a flannel shirt and ripped jeans that ran down to sneakers. Her hair flowed over her shoulders until she tilted, and then swung her head to reveal her signature earring. The jay feather glowed a deep azure in contrast to her overall features. Satisfied that this was the correct look, the girl, looking much younger than myself, moved over to an empty desk and hopped onto its top and sat down, letting her legs swing freely beneath her.

_ <So…> _

"So…"

We both started at the same time, and I was getting all sorts of conflicting emotions building up. It was getting really difficult to concentrate, so we remained silent while I fought my own internal struggles. _What the hell is wrong with me? I've been over her for years!_

_ <Doctor Price, Chloe, would it help you if I changed back to one of the other avatars?> _

Thank fuck for that! Molly had changed her persona's voice back to her original, putting me more at ease, though it did nothing for me being able to look on to an almost perfect replica of my ex-girlfriend. I kept my eyes looking at her shoes as they casually moved forward and back. "Uh, no, no, it's fine. Yeah. Uhm…"

_ <Good, because we still need to go over Protocol 7, and you're the only one authorized to make the decision.> _

"What's all the theatrics about? And why the hell did you have to bring Rachel into this?" I waved at her glowing form.

_ <It's part of the requirements. I am to present myself to you in a way that requires you to make a moral choice, and I thought this, after a little fun, would meet the need.> _

"That's for sure. Okay, fine." My brain seemed to finally catch up and helped me regulate my feelings a little better. I tried to get back to business. "What is so important that you have to invoke rule number seven, or whatever the thing is called?"

_ <Easy. I know how to fix the gap, but at risk to my existence. I could very well cease functioning.> _

"Molly," Max asked cautiously, "what is the probability that this will happen?"

_ <Sixty percent.> _

The analyst did a couple of mental calisthenics, reached again for her pen, and doodled on her screen. "Fine, and the probability of fixing the gap?"

_ <Ninety five percent> _

"Thank you." My older First Mate swiveled her chair to look at me and wave her hand, giving me the floor once again.

"Uhm. What needs to be done?"

_ <My core power system needs to route energy into the dimensional fabric, but to do that, someone needs to travel there with the end node. There is a sixty percent risk of my entire core being siphoned uncontrollably into the interstices between the two target streams and the destination stream.> _ The Rachel-Molly hybrid nodded to Des, who had just realized herself what part she had to play.

"Uhm… I… I've never done that before. I've only ever followed my own visualization of where or when I wanted to go. I'm not sure I can do it." She looked like she was conflicted between wanting to help and knowing precisely how to help. She had a confidence issue which I totally got. But that gave me an idea.

"Dude! You totally got this! If it's visualization you need, that's what this place is for. This whole complex is about sending signals to different time streams and part of that, some of what Molly handles, is the predictive algorithms. We can almost see what's going on in other streams if we have a lock. It's like watching reality shows at home, but on a big mother of a hologrammatic tv.

"Ooookaayyyy, uhm what do I need to do?" 

_ <That's pretty easy, Des. You, me, and Max will work to identify the exact coordinates you need to go, giving you a bunch of practice. We have VR that will help you visualize, in a manner you can understand, exactly how to get there.> _

"VR, huh? So, how good is it?"

"Ha! Have you ever seen The Matrix?" I had to admit, it was one of my favorite movies.

"Hell, yeah! Okay, let's do this." Then she looked back at me. "Uhm, what about you? What are you doing?"

"I need to pack. By that, I mean I need to grab as much information as we can stuff on our portable. Then, I need to tell our hosts what's going on." I turned to Rach\Molly. "You think you have the bandwidth to send a message?"

_ <Yes, with a lock established that presents no problem. In fact, based on the destination's stability, and the fact that we've already observed their signal, I might be able to force it directly into their systems. The signals are that clear, and the technology is not too far off from the gear that you and Max were previously working on.> _

"Okay, get it set up and I'll get the payload ready."

"You okay, Max? Des?"

"Check. We got this, Captain."

"Good to go, Chloe."

* * *

It took us almost the entire time to get everything ready. The worst part was that Des had some problem orientating to the coordinates where she needed to go. Her pack was ready to grab and go, but she still only had one successful simulation. I watched as the helmet twitched on her head, a little light leaking out from its edges as she reacted once again. Occasionally her arms would reach out and try to grab something that wasn't there, so I knew she was trying her hardest to figure it out, letting the simulation feel as real as it looked.

"How's she doing, Max?" I looked at her, then the clock which was approaching the ten minute mark.

Max set the pen she'd been using down on the flat surface where it clicked onto the side of the screen. Turning slowly she wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. She'd been working really hard to shift the patterns of the simulation in real time based upon her expert analysis.

"She's a trooper, that's for sure. It's about as close as it gets to actually being there, and she hasn't given up." Grabbing a water bottle, the older woman drank deeply. "We had a good last two runs through the scenario, getting closer to ninety-five percent, but just a little shy. She's really built up her confidence, and if we get the pattern down this time, she should have all the muscle and mental memory to jump exactly where we need."

"Ok. Good." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was starting to get a queasy feeling in my stomach again. Butterflies probably. But the fact that we only had one shot at this. Well, let's just say it's not without stress. I pressed a few keys on the keyboard and my part was done. Message sent.

"Chloe. How are you doing?"

"I'm nervous as fuck, Max. I…" Another breath, in and out. "… I'm hella scared actually. What if we fail?"

"I don't know. But I'll make sure to keep the lights on until The Boss™ is with us again, even if it is twenty-five years from now. There's still a lot of work to accomplish."

"I'm gonna miss you, Molly, and everyone else. We've gotten so much done. Make sure that no one forgets. The Flag™ is yours, First Mate."

"No, it's not. You'll make it; that's why you're the Captain. You've never given up on The Plan™, spent your entire adult life, along with your Max, working to solve the problem. But remember, you're also the only one that can tell them where we messed up." She moved over to where I sat and leaned in with a hug.

"You are all the same, dork. I don't understand it yet, but I will, promise. We're gonna get each and every one of us safe, back together, whole. Or we'll die trying. I guess that's the best anyone can expect, yeah?"

"Hella."

"Nerd."

"Geek."

"Max."

"Chloe."

The machine beeped and Rachel-Molly approached in her glowing form and looked at the screen, while the older woman scooted back where the teenager lay and started to detach the equipment. _< Max, it looks like she did it. Success rate has surpassed ninety-eight percent.>_

Des, finally free to see the _real_ world once again, looked at me and grinned. "I know kung fu."

"Hell yeah you do, girl. You're one bad ass bitch now." Her eyes sparkled with delight as I reached over to help her to a seated position, fist bumping first then clasping each other's forearm. Max handed her a water bottle of her own.

"How'd I do?"

Max replied while spinning back and putting some final notes on her screen. "Ninety-eight point seven." With a couple of clicks, the entire main hologram displayed detailed tracking and diagrams of the target region. "You know where to go now. We'll be able to track you like before, but if something goes wrong, you'll have to go with your instincts."

_ <Des, you need to depart in about 4 minutes.> _

"I can do this. Nice meeting you, Max"

Turning again toward the teen, the graying woman simply winked. "The pleasure was mine. Be careful and say ' _hey_ ' to your parents when you see them."

"Ready?" I handed her the pack and slid it over her shoulders, lingering on her partially hidden tattoo. "Still love the ink, dude. Don't know when or if I'll ever see you again, but if all goes well, you never know. Either way, I want to say thanks again, for saving me."

"You're gonna make me cry, Chloe. You want me doing that while I save your ass?"

"No, you're right." I held out my fist for one last time. The red-streaked girl looked at it, started raising her hand in response, then leaned forward, giving me a full hug. I returned it myself. "Take care, Des. You got this."

"And you."

_ <One minute, Des. It's been a pleasure.> _

She took one last look around, lingering on each of us, Max, Rachel-Molly, and finally me. "Permission to depart, Captain?"

"Get out of here you scallywag! Permission granted."

And that was it. She took one last look at the display, nodded curtly like she knew exactly what to do and she was gone. No fanfare, no sound. Just not there anymore.

_ <Tracking looks good, she's already there. I… uhm… that’s…> _

"Molly?" I watched as her hologrammatic form started to flicker, glitch, then finally wink out. "Shit! Max, what's the telemetry say?"

"We're getting a severe drain on the system. Power levels are dropping all across the board. We're down thirty percent on processing power and the cryogenic stasis is failing its… She grabbed her desk to keep from being tossed around as the room lurched. A deep, reverberating hum started to shake the entire structure and sparks flew around as breakers tripped, protecting irreplaceable infrastructure.

I dashed for my own desk; all the stations were solidly bolted to the ground which gave me some means of stability. "Molly! Are you still with us?"

_ <I… I… I…> _

Fuck! I slung my own pack over my shoulders, which had all the data to take with us. My fingers blurred over the keyboard as I engaged backups that would take over for the loss of Molly. It would be slower, and with more risk. "Tell me, First Mate. How bad is it?"

_ <I… I… I…> _

"We're down fifty-eight percent, now! Chloe… the lab is starting to lose sync."

"Oh hell no! We are NOT going to lose the reference frame! Engage bank B-seven and prepare the secondary systems to take over. I'm trying to get Molly back."

The room shook worse than before and the noise was almost deafening. "B-seven online, but it'll only last five minutes."

I didn't even bother to look up from my task, it was the only thing I could think of, and it would ruin years of investment in our facility. I pressed a number of additional keys and slammed the enter key down with so much force the keyboard flew off my table.

The room stopped rocking.

The noise disappeared.

Max rolled over to my station and gently placed the keyboard she'd picked up back where it belonged.

"Do you think it'll work?"

"Don't got much choice." Then I addressed the room once again. "Molly, you still with us?"

_ <I… I… I… oh! I see we didn't roll our skill check very well.> _

"Dungeons and Dragons references, now?"

_ <It seems appropriate. I don't seem to be connected to the main compute stack. Where are we at?> _

"I disconnected you from the array. You're running directly from your offline backup."

_ <I see. So it didn't work.> _

I was about to say no, when Max interrupted, pointing at the overhead. "Uhm… Chloe, Molly, there's been a change. The energy drain has leveled out."

"That's not expected. How's her tracking?" What the hell was going on? None of this was going to plan.

_ <While I can't track all the data, I can see what's on the screen. The siphon has been stopped, like someone plugging at the source, but it's more than that, energy, probability, and entropy are slowly moving back into the universe.> _

I watched the screen for a number of breathless seconds. There was only one person I could think of that could do that. Looks like our Des just leveled up. "She's doing it. It's Des!"

_ <Chloe, you only have two minutes remaining. We currently have a provisionary lock on your home stream. If we connect in our current state, it will stress their systems significantly.> _

"Max, keep a watch on Des. We're gonna have one shot at this, and if the system starts going down again, hit the override. We can't lose the reference frame. If it looks like that's going to happen, hit the button." I pointed over to the sole button that we'd joked about earlier. It had been inert then. But I had activated the failsafe the moment things went south.

The brunette wiped sweat from her brow and gulped. "But won't that break all contact? And we'll be trapped, right?"

"If we don't, First Mate, we all lose. The Primary Frame goes, so does everyone on the planet. Nothing can stop it if it's unleashed uncontrollably."

_ <One minute thirty, Doctor Price. I have established a connection and have begun feeding coordinates. I advise you to make haste. The links I'm using are not suited for this level of stress. The path forward will be very unstable without constant correction.> _

"Shit. Can you handle it?"

_ <I can, but it must be done on both sides. I have audio communications, but no video. Be advised, the target stream has passed the threshold which maintains its cohesion; it is starting to break down.> _

"MAX!" I yelled it in a panic. I couldn't help it. I had ninety seconds to save her.

"CHLOE! What the hell is happening? Everything is going nuts here! Why can't I see you?"

"We've run into some problems, so it's audio only. We have to get you out of there!"

"What? Why?"

_ <Doctor Price, Ms. Caulfield, excuse me. You have sixty seconds to leave before your stream dissolves.> _

"The hell, Molly!" The voice over the speaker was scratchy and distorted. "I thought we had more time!"

_ <It is imperative that you stabilize your side. I must begin energy transfer. Max, you need to focus.> _

Fear and panic conveyed through the poor connection as I heard my girlfriend yell instructions. Charlie, I presume, was present. "I can do this Max. I think… damnit!" 

Valuable seconds ticked down as I listened to the girls on the other end of the speaker try and retry to get their side stable. It was gonna be close. I turned my head and watched as the Max on my side moved over to the failsafe. She was shaking her head but said nothing so as not to distract anyone. She knew her job. Overhead, time marched down, and indicators that floated above flashed crimson and yellow, none of them close to green.

_ <Doctor Price prepare for departure. You have thirty seconds.> _

00:25 

I stood up, locked my station out of habit, and moved over to the departure area. It was just an empty section of the room where the floor was demarked with caution warnings around its perimeter. I turned back to the chaos and watched the seconds count down.

00:20 

"It's keeps destabilizing, but I think I've figured it out…" That must be Charlie's work. I looked at the screen and was shown green lights on both sides for the first time. I blinked, yet they remained. A bridge had formed, a winding, snakelike path that connected, like a Y, two separated time streams to meet at a third.

00:18 

It took me precious seconds to realize that everything was lined up, so I shouted above the din. "Max! We're running out of time. It's now or never! Get your ass moving, First Mate!"

00:15 

_ <Ms. Caulfield, it's time to go. The bridge will only remain stable for another fifteen seconds.> _

00:13 

"But I can't leave Charlie here!"

00:10 

"Max, I can do this. Go! Just don't forget what you said. I really don't want to die here; you have no idea." Charlie's words, over the static-filled audio, broke my heart. I could hear the waiver in her voice, but she was in the groove, adjusting her side as quickly as she anticipated the changes to the link. She knew she was going to die giving Max her chance, but she still had hope that we'd save her. I didn't know how we could; this was a one-way trip.

00:03 

"I won't forget. We'll find a way."

00:02

I waited breathlessly as an electric feeling started making the fine hairs on my arms stand up. My red hair billowed as static forced each strand to act on its own. Back by the failsafe, just as the whole room started to go gray, my older First Mate, with a salute like we used to do as kids, bid me safe journey.

* * *

There are no words to really describe what I see. I'll try my best to relay the impressions.

I am on a winding path connected to a shimmering wall, a view into a place that was like a looking at a paused show on the TV. No one is moving as I peer inside, and I slowly move a finger forward, meeting resistance like tapping on a window. It is eerily quiet on the twisting path, and as I turn around a brightness fills the space. It's from a dazzling point far from my location, but its impossible brilliance reflects and distorts the direction I must travel. It is a **_beacon_** in the place between time and space. 

I place a foot forward, then another. While it is easy to navigate, the ribbon I'm on continues to contort due to unseen forces which make me cautious. I have no idea what happens were I to fall. Before long, though without reference points I really have no idea how much time I spend, I reach a crossroad where another trail meets mine before combining together and continuing on as far as I can see. Looking the opposite way, the other path is twisting violently, like a ship that has become detached from its anchor and set adrift. The same forces whipsaw the band into complex shapes; its surface reflecting the light in a multitude of colors.

That's when I see her, a vision so beautiful it draws me down the bucking path. She's too busy holding her balance and looking behind to notice me. I watch as she does, seeing fragments of another view, like the one I've come from, dissolve to ash like parchment in a flame. Nothing remains as I finally reach my Max, and she falls into my arms where she belongs.

"I've got you Max."

Strength fills me as I lift her in both arms. Again, one foot, then the other I head back towards the intersection then along the less treacherous way. Far beyond, where ripples don't reach, another portal grows in my vision and I increase my pace.

I reach my destination which is a view I've seen before, a cliffside and a familiar bench. It seems to be dawn on a beautiful day, but even the waves are still. With one last step I move through the threshold and step onto the frost-covered grass slightly below. I make my way to the bench and seat myself, placing my girl's head gently on my lap. Behind me looms the lighthouse, standing tall, a solid presence that is proof against the storm.

I take a deep breath and let it out, producing fog in the cold air. We'll have to move on soon because of the time of year. It certainly feels like January, which is a good sign that we're where we need to be. But even with the chill, I don't feel it, because I've returned to my home; she is all the warmth I'll ever need. 

I adjust myself a bit, to peer over the edge at the now moving surf, and my motion stirs my slumbering mate. Settling back down, I run my fingers through her brown hair, a sensation I've been missing for far too long. I can't take my gaze away, she's everything to me and I want to be the first thing she sees.

Her lids flutter, then relax as the blue portals to her soul bathe me in the most wonderful sight I know. I watch as a calm smile fills her face.

"Did we make it, Chlo?"

"Yeah, love. We did."


	18. Welcome Aboard the S.S. Arcadia Bay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another chapter! I've been making huge progress on the story lately. Hope you all enjoy, and stay tuned for more.  
> Thanks go out to Clarx and Aspect11 for their continuing beta, concept support, and friendship throughout the process.  
> Also would like to thank the one and only Santa Cruz for the last minute artwork. You've done the BOfH proud!
> 
> Take care all!

**July 26, 2051 (Z + 43)**  
**Day 215+**  
**Aftermath**

The middle-aged woman with freckles slowly removed her hand from atop the invitingly large red button. The word 'FAILSAFE' was stenciled underneath the mechanism, accompanied by an ominous warning ' _Never Use!_ ' scribbled in black marker. She brushed off her old, battered hoodie that had been covered in a thick layer of dust and grime.

"Do you think they made it?"

_ <It's difficult to say, Max. Now that the energy sink is under control, I've reactivated an additional fifteen percent of my compute stacks, and reconnected to the main array. But I'm still having problems calculating the incoming telemetry in real-time. Your guess is as good as mine.> _

"Can you put it on my screen, let me take a look?" Max moved across the room, swiveled her chair and perched herself on its edge while clearing some random rubble that had fallen on her desk, covering the keyboard. "We've got a lot of repairs to do, don't we?"

A flickering, often glitchy hologram of Molly slowly formed near the desk to the woman's right, the one meant for Chloe. Her blue-hued form had been replaced with better coloring but wasn't borrowing Rachel's younger features at the moment. Instead, she presented herself as a taller-than-average teenaged woman with more than shoulder-length, wavey brown hair, thin matching eyebrows that enhanced sparkling sapphire eyes. She wore a dark brown leather jacket over a black and white print t-shirt, tight-fitting jeans ending in tall-heeled black combat boots full of laces and buckles. Perched on her head were wide-lens sunglasses, and a small jade pendant hung from a thin cord around her pale neck. Molly walked the short distance, sat down in the chair and propped her feet up.

 _ <Yes, we do. By my estimate, there's about two-hundred and fifty million dollars' worth of damage. It's going to put us back at least ten years.> _ The glowing persona took a simulated breath _._ _< I've sent the signal data to your station.>_

Max glanced at her screen and grabbed the pen attached to the monitor's side. "Got it." She began to scroll and rearrange the data, assigning colors as her eye for patterns created groupings out of the chaotic, almost random information. Minutes later, the woman tapped the base of the pen to her chin while she leaned back herself. The relaxed look on her face revealed the results of her work, and her smile grew making her entire face glow.

"They made it, Mol."

_ <And now we have twenty-five years to catch up. Plus, we're trapped down here, at least for now.> _

"That's true." The brunette and gray-haired woman nodded in agreement but shrugged off the bad news, instead running her hands through her hair and binding it with a rubber band into a ponytail that would keep it out of her eyes. "We should get to work. Can you give me a status report?" Numbers started streaming once again across both her screen and the hologrammatic one floating in the middle of the room.

The two ladies, one a photographer and analyst, the other a collection of circuits and probabilities, built a plan to rebuild the facility. There was a shit-ton of work, requiring multiple breaks to pee, or get something to eat, or for the human one to sleep. The subterranean lab was fully stocked for a year, which helped a lot, but neither girls thought it would take that long.

A week passed…

Max did a complete physical inventory while Molly developed a plan to for the repairs to both herself and the facility. Max reported the storeroom that contained the food she'd need was untouched, a bit of good news.

Then a month…

The pair had gotten into a routine. Max would sleep and the computer would continue repairs in sections of the facility that wouldn't disturb her. But the drones could only do so much, and there were too few for some of the more physical tasks. The older woman would wake, eat, have some blessed coffee, and then get to work, carefully following the step-by-step instructions provided by Molly. Dinner would come sooner than Max would believe, and she'd eat mechanically simply to fuel her body. Afterwards, the two would plan out the next day and the woman would retire to bed exhausted.

Rinse and repeat for endless days, each starting to blend into the next...

Until one morning, seemingly the same as the last...

_ <I have reestablished a connection to the complex upstairs. Routers have been reconfigured. Global net access is partially available.> _

"Oh my dog! Netflix!"

_ <Max, you know Netflix died off twenty years ago. Bandwidth is low at the moment, so it wouldn't work anyway.> _

Silence filled the lab except for the occasional click of a relay, or beep of a subsystem. The woman spun around slowly in the chair, deep in thought while absentmindedly tapping her pen on the arm rest. A half turn later, she stuck out her foot and swiveled to face the illuminated woman that sat across the way.

"Uh… Molly? Do we have the ability to make a call?"

The hologram nodded silently.

Thirty years of weight seemed to drag Max's shoulder down, and she let out a tiny gasp. She'd decided to cross a bridge that had been put off for ages but was now before her. It wasn't without difficulty, which became obvious as various expressions of concern, worry, delight, fear, and guilt each made themselves known. After a final moment's hesitation, she sat up, placed both hands on the armrests, and made the first step to resolve one of her greatest regrets.

"Open a channel, please. It's time I made a call to an old friend."

* * *

**January 4th 2018 (Z + 10)**  
**Afternoon**  
**On I-5, Heading North**

The two women sat beside each other on the Greyhound bus. The shorter of the pair had her head leaned on the vehicle's window simply watching the landscapes of northern Oregon scroll past. Her left was lightly set on her partner's leg, occasionally caressing it but never leaving. Ten hours had passed since she'd woke up laying on Chloe's lap, and all throughout the brunette hadn't let go, always had some kind of contact with her soulmate. It was as if she thought letting the red head go would make her disappear.

"So… about your hair…" Max asked quietly. "Are you gonna leave it that way?"

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that, Chlo. You'd look awesome even with no hair at all."

The taller woman ran her fingers through her hair, lifting it in her hand to look at its strands. A mischievous smirk took over her features and then slowly moved her gaze to Max. "My my, First Mate. Sooo… you want me… shaved. Ooo la la, babe." The light from outside refracted through the window in a rainbow of colors across the woman's face. Deep indigo met already perfect blue eyes enhancing their beauty while revealing the mischief hidden within. The red head raised a single, thin eyebrow expectantly. "Hmmm?"

"Oh! My! Dog!" The girl turned from the window, quickly shifting her entire body towards her companion. Her left leg bumped into Chloe's right while she simultaneously covered her mouth with both hands. Wide eyes showed the shock resulting from the red head's suggestive comment. Her face turned a shade of crimson that contrasted nicely with her girl's chosen color. "Do you ever grow up?"

Quietly the taller, pale woman chuckled at the game she played. "One point for me, Maxi."

"If I didn't love you so much… what the hell am I gonna do with you?"

"Keep me?"

The brunette shifted over and wrapped both arms around the red head. Leaning close to her ear she whispered almost beyond hearing. "I think that can be arranged."

The slight motions of her lips brushed lightly against Chloe's ear and sent tingles throughout her body, at least that's what Max thought given the goosebumps that formed along the side of her girlfriend's neck and all the way down her slender arms. Maybe it was the slight, deep-throated groan that the taller girl made. With even quieter words, the shorter girl played her hand, taking the game to a new level. "Look who's ahead now… beautiful. Say where. Say when, babe. You have no idea how much I missed you."

"I…"

Max giggled and laid her head where it belonged, on her girlfriend's shoulder. She ran her index finger down the length of the taller girl's body, from the ear, lightly down her neck and torso, passing her waist, and finally made little circles on her lower thigh.

"Uhhhhh…." It was about the most intelligible of the sounds Chloe could make.

After teasing the red head for what probably felt like an eternity, the First Mate, as per her station, took the initiative to get Captain Bluebeard back on track. "So… love… what's the plan? Where do we go from here?" She let her newly recovered girlfriend catch her wits and leaned away, though still leaving their knees touching.

Multiple minutes passed as Chloe tipped her head back on the coach seat and tried to catch her breath, maybe even get her heart to stop trying to pound its way out of her chest. Eventually though, the woman sighed heavily and turned her gaze to the brunette that was beside her, watching her every reaction.

"You are… there are no words… damn, Max, I missed you so much. The things you do to me."

"Yup."

"That's it?"

"Uh huh." The brunette tilted her head and looked sweetly at her companion.

Chloe ran her hands through her long red hair and wiped her forehead of the beads of sweat that formed due to her partner's actions. Afterwards, she reached into the backpack she'd set on the floor and straddled with her legs. The long arm rooted around for a couple of seconds and withdrew a small device about the size of a cell. Otherwise metallic blue in color, its front, the largest surface, was composed of an edge to edge screen and its side had a power button as well as a jack for a pair of headphones. Plugging in a pair of earbuds, she gently brushed brown hair away, popped one into the ear of her partner, and then did the other for herself. A slender finger pressed the power button and the screen immediately glowed as the system booted.

"What's this?" She indicated the device. "Doesn't look like any phone I've ever seen."

"Molly-in-a-box."

"Are you kidding me? It's so small."

"Thirty years of advances and quantum computing. Super tiny. Bad ass performance."

"You sound like a salesperson. You trying to get me to purchase the extended warranty?"

"Heh heh. Nice one, Maxi-puter. But I can give you a super deal on all of this." The thin woman gestured to her whole self. "But, sweetie, business first… we've got the rest of our lives now." Then she tapped a couple of buttons on the device and spoke quietly into the inline microphone.

"Yo, Mini Molly! Wakey wakey eggs and bakey!"

_ <Doctor Price, try to resist acting like a seven-year-old. And don't call me Mini Molly for fuck's sake.> _

"She's more like a five-year-old, Molly."

"Max! Am not…" The red head stuck her lip out and pouted.

_ <Hello, Max. Glad you could join us. The person holding me at the moment has been pining for you like an adolescent for months.> _

The shorter girl giggled. "She's definitely a handful. I'll make sure she stays out of trouble."

"What is this? Roast Chloe day?"

_ <Yes.> _

"Yes."

Both the computer and Max paused and then started laughing at the same time. All the while, the slender woman seated next to the aisle watched their antics. _I've missed this so much._

"Alright, dorks… yeah, that means you too, Molly, we've gotta get to work. What's your status, Mol?"

_ <Given the fact that I'm pretty much the most powerful computing system known to this time, I'd say pretty good. Conversely, if I weren't currently stuck running off of what's pretty much a potato battery compared to what I'm used to, everything would be perfect. Nevertheless, thanks to your foresight during the design of my portable unit, I have access to the local LTE node, and am connected to AWS and Azure systems to supplement my functionality. I'm in the process of uploading and configuring. Otherwise, all systems are functioning within expected ranges.> _

"So… isn't that dangerous? Should we be taking over the net like this?"

_ <Don't worry, Max. The security systems currently employed work in our favor. I've already taken over their threat monitoring systems. All they see is what I want them to see. Plus, with root access to their core processing and storage functions, I am now able to jump in and out of every system they host at will.> _

At that moment, a small message popped up at the bottom of the screen.

"Hells, yeah! We own the net now." The red head pumped her fist in the air, though subtly enough that it didn't gain the attention of the small number of other passengers travelling with them. "So we've got all the information and access we need, yeah? Now all we need is some cash." She turned to her partner. "It's a good thing you had some with you, or we'd be stuck in Arcadia Bay instead of headed where we need to go."

"Everything happened so fast. It's a good thing I had my pack with me, or I wouldn't even have any clean underwear." A glum expression caused the brunette to frown, purse her lips, and take a small breath. "It's all gone, isn't it? I mean, all our work, school, the lab, and… the people. They don't exist anymore, do they?"

A pale, slender hand reached over and carefully wrapped around a delicate hand, intertwining their fingers. Chloe slowly brought it up and brushed it with her lips. "Hey, we'll figure it out. I heard what you promised Charlie, and I agree. If it's at all possible, we're gonna get her out of there too, that's the cool thing about time travel, and we've got someone that can help, just need to find out where's she's gotten to."

"I guess. I mean, for all intents, she sacrificed herself for me."

"I know. But think about it this way, First Mate, she's as much part of The Crew™ as anyone else. What's the motto?"

"Max and Chloe forever?"

"Well yeah, love." Chloe kissed her companion's hand again. "But the other one. You know, _'Leave no one behind.'_ "

"You just made that up. I get you; I just want to make sure we get the chance."

"Trust your Captain."

"With all my heart, Chlo, for the rest of our lives." The brunette's facial features smoothed, and a light blush started in her cheeks, causing her freckles to disappear. "Which brings up another, more interesting conversation."

"Like what?"

"Well, back a couple of days ago when you said I had about a month left, I gathered everything I could think of into a backpack." The shorter girl gestured with her other hand to the bag at her feet that looked like it was bursting at the seams.

"Smart move. Wish I would have thought of that. I had like a couple of hours tops. But, Maximum-readiness, what's the prob?"

"Oh, no, no problem. Just that while going through all of our drawers and the suitcases we had for our vacation I came across a rather curious little object."

As she thought about the last statement, it slowly dawned on her what Max was referring to. A warm feeling traveled from the tips of her toes, into her heart, which skipped a beat, up her neck, and settled in the tips of her now crimson ears. "Uhm…"

The smaller girl reached into a pouch and produced a small, velvet covered box about a quarter of the size of her hand. It had a hinged lid, which she slowly opened. Inside, a gold band lay nestled in a slot and presented its multi-faceted inlaid gems of sapphire. "You have any idea what this is, Chlo? Hmmm?"

In a matter of fact tone, the pirate Captain smirked and then responded. "I do."

"What?"

"I said I do, Maxi-mate. I was gonna ask you on vacation, but kinda got hijacked. I spent over 200 days marooned without you. Every night I would…" The lithe red head looked around and dropped her voice a bit. "… I would… you know, do things… in my mind… to you. Oh my, uhhhhh."

"Oh my dog, Chloe!!! How do you always end up saying _'uhhhhh'_ and stuff like that?" The brunette was shocked, but only mildly, after all, this was her soulmate and if she were to be honest, she had missed her tremendously.

A dreamy look on her face, the taller girl giggled, then refocused on the little brunette beside her. "Heh, anyway, now that you seem to be asking me instead, love, I'll just simply say it again. I do. I hella do!"

The butterflies in her stomach did nothing to calm Max, but the shock of originally finding the ring had passed. The younger woman looked at the ring, then Chloe, ran a finger over its smooth, gemmed surface, and finally turned her gaze back to a certain red head. "I don't have a ring to give you right now, and this one was meant for me." She closed the box's lid and carefully passed it to the smiling woman.

"Hell, you don't need to get me a ring. Shit, a piece of string, or even a milk-tab would be fine. You can get me a ring after we get settled."

"Alright."

"So, dude. You ready?"

The brunette nodded and scootched away, placing her back up against the bus's window to make some space between the two. Chloe, with great care, reopened the box, turned it around so it faced her First Mate, and said words she'd had to delay for half a year.

"Max, my love, you're my best friend and soulmate. Would you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you hella marry me?"

The energy contained in the shorter girl was almost too much for her to contain. Bouncing in her seat with a grin from ear to ear, she focused on the little velvet box, and then locked eyes with her partner.

"Yup." With a moment's pause for inspiration, Max tilted her head and mimicked a perfect Chloe-esque smirk. "What took you so long?"

"Dork."

"Nerd."

"Wife"

"Forever."

The ring slid onto Max's finger and settled into place as if it were meant to be there all this time. Both pairs of eyes lingered on it as the changing light from outside made it sparkle. Neither of the women noticed the older gentleman sitting across the aisle nod quietly, smile, then go back to reading his book. Outside, steel beams and trusses blurred across the window as the bus crossed the Columbia river and into Washington State.

* * *

**January 4th 2018 (Z + 10)**  
**Early evening**  
**Seattle, King Street Station**

"So, now that we're engaged how do you feel?" The red head asked over her shoulder as the two girls headed single file down the multiple flights of stairs. Of course she knew the question would fluster her little hipster; the brunette had been continuously mesmerized by the band around her ring finger, often glancing between it and the taller woman without realizing she was being watched.

"C… Chloe, you know I've wanted to get married for a while, we talked about this. I just never imagined you'd pop the question on a bus." The shorter girl glanced again, reflexively at the gold and jeweled ring. "We need to celebrate."

"Hell yeah we do, babe. But first, we've got an appointment to keep."

"What do you mean?"

"Welllllllll, I kinda sent word to our new hosts that we were coming."

"Chloe Price. What did you do?" Max stopped and stepped to the side as she got off the last step, allowing other pedestrians to pass. She had both hands on her hips and was looking at her fiancé with a stern, knowing expression.

"Nothing! Would I," the taller girl pointed at herself, "do anything that you would _ever_ consider questionable, hmm?"

"In a fucking heartbeat."

With the back of her palm pressed against her forehead, the slender woman portrayed a person that had been mortally wounded; it was a performance she played better than any Shakespearean tragedy she'd ever partaken. "Oh! Thee breaketh mine own heart." The brunette couldn't help but giggle at the antics even while rolling her eyes.

"You are such a nerd. What am I going to do with you?"

"Keep me?"

The brunette sided up against her partner and took her hand. "We'll see. So, anyway, what's this about a schedule?" Together they continued walking down the length of the platform to where the train would eventually stop.

"It's no big deal, really. I just told the Captain of this ship that we're coming and that The Plan™ was still a go." Chloe shrugged. "I also mentioned something about Des."

"That's the girl that saved you, right?"

"The same. She's bad ass, Maxie. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

"But who is she?"

"Would you believe she's our daughter? I mean, not specifically yours and mine, but another pair of us."

The brunette remained speechless for a number of seconds. "That's… incredible. How can that be?"

"I dunno, babe, but she is, there's no doubt. And because of what she can do, I'd say we can still save all of us."

"Sure hope so, Chlo. What we just went through was not supposed to be how it worked. Where did we go wrong?"

The taller woman shrugged. "I'm still trying to figure it out. Luckily, we have a version of you to keep things going over the long term, so _The Boss™_ will be in good hands when they snap out of it; she'll have all our data." The slim girl paused as she noticed a light coming from the left side of the station; their ride was approaching. "Looks like our ride's here."  
The blue and white train quietly pulled up and a small number of passengers disembarked. The two women entered and made their way to the back of the car where no other riders were seated. The vehicle was completely empty save for one lone person seated on the opposite end. With a small chime, the doors closed automatically, and the commuter train smoothly pulled away, heading down the tunnel towards the center of town.

Max glanced out the window but there was only darkness and her reflection staring back at her. "So, we're in a different time stream altogether now, right? There's going to be another Max and Chloe, right?"

"Uh huh. That's who we have to meet up with tomorrow morning. We've got to catch them up with all the data I packed into Molly here." She fished out the small computer from her pack and switch the AI back on, not bothering with earbuds this time.

_< You have no idea how much I hate being confined to this device. I feel like I'm being powered by a potato battery. Just call me GLaDOS.>_

"Heh, good one, Mol. Look, we'll get you into something that's more suitable as soon as we can. It's just until we do, I have to keep switching you off to preserve power. It's not like I can just plug you into a USB charger."

_< Understood, Doctor Price. Oh, and by the way, congratulations on the engagement.>_

"Thanks, Molly." Max fiddled with her new jewelry. "So, now that we're all present, what's our next steps?"

"Well, first we need to find a place to stay, somewhere close to UW. Based upon what I saw, that's where they'll be, the lab."

"Okay, that makes sense. But… how are we going to pay for it?"

_< You won't have to. Firstly, because we have plenty of money. Secondly, because you're going to stay at your own apartment.>_

The red head looked confused. "How do we have cash, Mol? We didn't bring a ton with us."

Max piped up too. "And how do you know we have an apartment?"

_< The apartment was easy, just a simple search on the web. You both have apartments in Capitol Hill.>_

"And the money?" Her confusion turned to worry. She didn't want them to get into trouble right away.

 _< And you call yourself a pirate Captain.>_ An electronic sound emanated from the speaker in an excellent simulation of a sigh. _< We have plenty of reserves, currently in e-currency but easily convertible. I may have taken the liberty of hijacking a few bitcoin mining jobs before you shut me down earlier.>_

"Molly, the shorter girl asked, "when you say ' _a few_ ' how many do you mean?"

_< All of them, duh.>_

Chloe's eyes grew wide as she stared at the tiny device, a few moments later, an impish grin formed on the taller girl's face at the thought of treasure. "Uh, Mol… how much do we have?"

_< It's not what you're used to, given the unlimited funding we left back home. However, I managed to nab more than twenty-two thousand Bitcoin. All completely untraceable, small amounts siphoned from hundreds of accounts; their own systems don't even know I was manipulating the block chain. For all intents, we've had the capital for years.>_

"You scurvy dog! Remind me to give you a raise!"  
_< Now look who's joking, Captain. You never paid me to begin with, but maybe you should, considering the current FMV.>_

The brunette quickly pulled out her phone and typed a query into the search page. After a few seconds she moved the phone closer, squinting as if she couldn't read the text. Then her eyes went wide, and she nudged her fiancé. "Uhm… Chlo?"

The slender red headed pirate looked over at her First Mate and read what was on the phone. Her jaw dropped. "Holy guacamole!"

Max put her finger to her lips. "Shhhh!"

Chloe hushed her voice but couldn't contain her enthusiasm much. "Well, guess we don't have to worry about having to get jobs or anything. Hella awesome!"

"That's a nice surprise. So what do we do now?"

"I say we head to our place; whichever one is closer. We can stop on the way to grab some grub. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"You're always starving, Chloe. How is it you can just eat anything?"

"I donno, babe, maybe it's the red-hot-to-the-Max girl next to me that gets me all excited, making me burn all the calories away." The taller girl leaned in close, within inches, filling her partner's vision. "Hmmm?"

A light kiss answered her question as the brunette snuggled closely into the warm embrace of her fiancé. "That has to be it, sweetie. I take full credit." Then she looked up and winked slyly. "And I'm pretty… hungry myself. But that has nothing to do with dinner… more like dessert." With another kiss and a self-satisfied grin, the smaller girl cuddled close and sighed heavily, leaving a bewildered Captain to wonder how her First Mate had turned the tides so quickly.

The train continued on to a number of stops before arriving at the girls' intended destination. During the time, neither spoke much but instead simply enjoyed one another's company, something they'd both missed tremendously. The two stepped onto the platform, eventually making their way to the surface on the outskirts of the mixed-use business and residential area called Capitol Hill. The air was crisp but not unexpected for the season, yet the women, still holding hands as if they were physically connected, didn't notice.

The ladies started walking South along Broadway when the taller woman's eyes grew wide and she pointed excitedly across the street to a drive-in style restaurant.

"Holy shit, Max! Look! You want to get a bag of Dicks?"

The younger girl, having lived in Seattle for a number of years, snickered at the requisite joke **_everyone_** had to make at least once when visiting. Back in their original time stream, she'd never introduced her partner to the Dick's experience as they'd lived nearer to the university. It had always been one of those things she'd wanted to do.

"Chloe, you'll just have to get in line. I could eat Dick's all day." The brunette giggled as her girlfriend's eyes twinkled with delight.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! My oh my! HA! HA! Didn't know your bread was buttered on that side, Maxi! HA! HA! HA!"

"Bread and butter have nothing to do with it, Chlo. It's all about the Dick's."

The taller woman almost couldn't stand as she was laughing so intensely, and the younger girl had to guide her across the road. They approached the line, which was normal at this time of day, and stood in the chill air with their arms around each other's waist. In short time, they approached the counter behind which a girl just slightly shorter than Chloe had her back towards them, filling the previous customer's order. When she turned around, Max's jaw dropped, and her taller partner stiffened a bit, recognizing the face of their friend.

"Ch… Ch… Charlie?"

The teen's face lit up with recognition. "Oh! Hey, Max! I thought you went home for the night."

Max stumbled with her words, realizing that she was being mistaken for a different person. "Uh… mmm, yeah. I just wanted to… hmmm… you know, had some things to do, and…" She tried to figure out how to explain when Chloe jumped into the conversation, improvising.

"Hey, yeah… we bumped into each other, me and Max are old friends." The red head extended her hand across the counter. "Chloe. Chloe Price, pleased to meet cha."

"Hi. Charlene, but everyone calls me Charlie. Are you from Arcadia Bay, like Max?"

"Sure am, born and raised in that hell hole. But glad to be here now. This little cutie and I grew up together." She nudged the shorter woman with her hips playfully.

The order-taker squinted her eyes, looked between the two, back and forth, and her pleasant smile turned into a huge grin. "Cutie, huh? Max, you never said anything about… are you…" Then a sparkle caught her eye in the lighting, drawing her gaze to Max's hand. "Oh my gosh!!! You're… why didn't you tell me??? Congratulations! This is so sudden!"

Freckles hid themselves in the crimson blush that formed on the brunette's face, not one of embarrassment, but of knowing that her Captain had finally popped the question and started a whole new chapter in both their lives. She squeezed Chloe's warm, slender hand before replying.

"No, not really sudden. It's been building up to this for years. Just kinda wanted it to be low key."

"Sure, I get you. So, what would the new couple like? It's on me." The excited girl thought for a moment. "I just have to ask the boss if it's okay. I'm only here standing in for a friend who's sick; I don't know if it's against the rules. Can you wait a sec?"

Both girls nodded, and the teen locked her register and walked through a side door into the back room.

"You okay, Maxi?"

"I left her there to die, Chlo. And now, here she is, right in front of me; she doesn't even know me." Chloe felt a shudder go through her fiancé, obviously she'd been putting on a brave face while talking with the spunky teen. "She seems so familiar, but at the same time, entirely different. Yet with all the differences, she still knows me. I wasn't prepared for this."

"We're in a completely different stream, babe, and unlike you, I've had a ton of time to get used to it. There's going to be changes; we have no idea what they are, but does it really matter?"

"I don’t know." A tear that had been welling up, finally fell and left a trail down her cheek.

"Hey… don't do that, sweetheart. Look on the bright side. Charlie's alive, right here. She may have different memories, but just like us, all the others are connected. It's something I learned since Destiny rescued me. Every single version of a person across this broken universe is part of the same… I don't know… call it soul, entity, whatever. So our friend," the red head nodded as the young girl started back towards them, "is still very much alive."

Max shifted closer to the taller frame of her partner and leaned her head on her shoulder where she let out a breath she'd been holding in. "Okay, Chlo-bear."

"Ch… Chl… Chlo-bear?"

"Uh huh. Now that we're engaged, I get to start making names for you. Shhh. Here she comes."

Charlie bounced back over to her station. "Boss said it's okay, it'll come out of my check, so order what you'd like." She winked knowingly. "What kind of Dick's do you want?"

That broke the ice perfectly, and all three girls erupted into laughter, taking a whole five minutes just to get the correct words for their order. The teen wrote it all down, tapped the pencil she was using on her chin a number of times, then added a few more items, and placed the list into the queue. Then she turned and yelled loudly towards the office she'd visited earlier.

"BOB!!! I'M DONE FOR THE NIGHT! I'LL GET MY PAY IN THE MORNING!!!"

From the back room came a muffled affirmative.

"Alright, ladies. I'm off. Let's grab some Dick's and you, Max, can tell me all about the two of you."

Together the pair of time travelers and their friend found a rare, empty picnic table along the side of the building away from the car and pedestrian crowd that was starting to build. Over the next few minutes the three women chatted about Max and Chloe's history, from their childhood all the way to their current environment. The two were careful to leave things vague in case the other Max had talked about the same topics. From either's point of view they seemed to have pulled it off. All talk was halted when one of Charlie's co-workers brought a tray with three bags stuffed with food, as well as thick shakes and a pile of fries and onion rings. All three looked at each other quickly and announced their intentions to the world.

"GIMME THE DICK'S!!!" They broke down laughing and carousing like long lost friends. "WOOOO!!"

Max looked at her two companions and popped a fry into her mouth, enjoying the exuberance and energy. _Heh heh! Dick's… kinda makes everything seem alright._ She let that innuendo roll around in her mind, then decided it was all in fun. _Again_ , _it's a Seattle thing. I might as well enjoy it._

* * *

"I'm stuffed, Chloe. I feel like I could roll home! Wherever that is." The brunette rubbed her stomach, then looked up and down the street as they walked away from the drive-in. "Which way?"

"Computer, which way to the apartment?" Chloe asked, using a super-fake impression of Captain Kirk.

_< Pfft! I am not the fucking Star Trek computer, Doctor Price.>_

The freckled face of the shorter girl lit up with amusement. "Heh heh. Mol, she's just kidding around." Then she too got into the role. "Plot a course for rendezvous with the U.S.S. Arcadia Bay, Mr. Sulu."

If a computer could express indignation, then the tiny AI would be the perfect example as it modulated its voice to convey how frustrated it was getting. Sure, Molly knew this was all a game, probably something the two mischievous pirates did all the time. What she hadn't expected, though, was the sheer amount of merciless teasing the girls did when they were together; they amplified and built off each other in a way she'd never experienced. It took a lot of patience, something that an AI had in abundance, to see past the childish behavior. If she were human, her response would probably be exasperation similar to a mother scolding her kids. On her screen she displayed a short animation of eyes rolling.

_< Now now, children, please behave. We're in a completely different place and it wouldn't do to start it off by getting into… trouble… with me.>_

"But, Mollyyyyy!" The girls whined.

Both women looked at each other, then down at the device Chloe was holding. The graphical screen continued to replay the animated sequence. It finally ended with an enlarged emoji of a hand made into a fist. Ever so slowly one special finger was raised to accent Molly's feelings.

"Okay, okay! We went too far. Sorry, yeah?"

"Uh huh. Sorry, Molly. We'll behave."

_< It's fine. Just remember, I was created to run a scientific research facility, not be a baby-sitter or get stuck in a little potato-powered tin can like I am now. My algorithms are still adjusting to this new reality, so I'm a little out of sorts. Let's just stick to The Plan™ and avoid unnecessary shenanigans, especially directed at myself. >_

"Touchy, aren't we?" A low hum came from the speaker, which made Chloe rethink. "Okay, okay! I get it. So, can you please tell us which way to go? We never had an apartment nearby back home."

_< Better. Thank you. Head south along Broadway. I'll tell you where to go turn by turn.>_

"Uhm… I have a question. How are we going to get into the apartment? It's not like we have a key, Chlo."

The computer interrupted. _< That's a good question. May I suggest you both head to Max's building? It's closer and there should be someone that can let you in. Just say you forgot your key.>_

"That's a good idea."

"Sounds good."

Through the rest of the mile and a half stroll along the neighborhood's hilly sidewalks, the girls kept glancing around, obviously looking for any kind of difference. They'd not been around this part of the city in their other time stream, so it was difficult to determine what changes were apparent. Cresting some of the taller hills and looking back towards the twilight reflecting off the Puget Sound, they couldn't find an example, something that stood out. The Seattle skyline and harbor looked identical to what they were used to.

Eventually they made their way, via Molly's guidance, to a group of apartment buildings that were of similar, if somewhat older, design than the more modern ones they'd passed. Made out of a deep, brown stone, the buildings looked to be in good condition and had a charm that described a quieter, comfortable era of the city. They made their way inside and were met with rich mahogany wood floors, a comfortable lobby with numerous high, wing-backed chairs situated amongst small coffee tables. Brass sconces, maybe originals from the earliest days of the structure, lined the perimeter of the room, as well as the long hallway that lead to each individual apartment and the stairwell.

The brunette looked up at the taller woman. "Hopefully someone will be here."

"There should be, First Mate. It's still fairly early." She pointed to a door off to the side, made of wood and glass situated next to the clusters of mailboxes. On the opaque, frosted pane, the word 'Office' was backlit by a warm glow of lighting beyond.

Max approached the door and knocked quietly, opening it and leaning inside when she heard the building manager say, " _come in._ " Inside, the moderately sized, converted storage area held a small desk with a laptop, and was lined on one wall with rows of filing cabinets, and a locked glass-faced case within which hanged numerous keys. A single, stylized ceiling fixture spread yellow illumination throughout the windowless room, and a grey-haired woman seated behind the computer looked up from her work.

"Evening, Max." The lady nodded and the brunette and her partner entered. The woman's gaze traveled across the two girls in front of her, lingering, maybe a bit too long, on Chloe's blazing red. "What can I do for you tonight?"

"Well, I seem to have locked myself out." She thought for a second, then shrugged. "Uh… again."

"You're always so forgetful, young lady. I have a mind to tie it to your wrist like a kindergartener." The office manager chuckled. "Works for my granddaughter."

Chloe snickered and nudged her partner. "Ohhhh. Little Maxi! So cuuuuute."

The elderly woman looked between the two and then nodded towards the taller one. "Who's this, Max?" A hint of skepticism was apparent in her voice.

"Oh, sorry. This is Chloe, she's my best friend."

"Pleased to meet you. Doctor Chloe Price." The tall girl stuck out her thin hand across the desk, and the woman stood as was proper, took the proffered hand, and shook politely.

"Friends, huh? You from Arcadia Bay, like Max here?"

"Sadly, yeah. But it's been years. We grew up together there, but I've been at _The U_ for quite a while now."

"Well, okay then. Didn't mean to sound rude; I get a little protective of you youngsters, especially the ones that live on their own. Don't like seeing them get into… trouble."

"Don't worry. My Chloe is a good bad influence on me. She'll keep me safe." Max said proudly.

The woman smiled, old as she might be, she knew how the world worked nowadays. "You just be careful, don't call attention to yourself too much." She pointed at Chloe's hair.

Without missing a beat, Chloe ran her hand through her mane, and held a little bit in front of her looking at it, then to the woman. "Heh, wanted to try something really radical. Too much?"

"It does catch eyes, yes. I was young once upon a time and did a lot of experimentation too." The old woman paused for a moment. "Just watch yourself, girl. The city ain't what it used to be."

"Uh… right. Good idea, we'll be careful."

"I don't want to keep you girls, so let me just get your spare, Max." With that, the lady moved around the desk, brought out a key and unlocked the case on the wall. She ran a thin finger over each one until it landed on the correct one, which she unhooked and handed to the brunette. Then, the woman locked the case and returned to her desk.

"Bring it back as soon as you can, dear. If you don't I'll have to charge you for it, that's the rules."

"No prob. I'll just run over and grab mine and bring it right back."

"That's fine. Be careful when you go down the hallway, the floors have just been waxed and one of your neighbors fell and hit their head. There's a warning sign, but some folks just don't take no heed. He's in stable condition at Harborview, and they are keeping him overnight to watch for signs of concussion."

"No shit?"

"Language, Ms. Price." The older woman's stern gaze showed that while she was quite a pleasant person, cussing wasn't something she appreciated.

"Sorry." The woman sounded just like her Mom.

"It's fine. We've had some other weird things happen, too. Random power outages caused by a faulty circuit breaker. Maintenance caught it, but it was already smoking. It caused someone to get trapped for hours in the elevator. And a steam pipe burst in number 4041; killed Mary's birds, poor dears." The woman sighed as she sat back down. "Just a series of _Bad, uhm… Things™._ Been a strange day."

"Wowser. Alright, we'll be careful. I'll bring this back as soon as I can."

"Okay, see you soon. I'll be locking up in about half an hour."

The girl's walked out the office and closed the door behind them. Quickly looking at the number of the key, the two turned and walked down the corridor, passing a yellow caution sign with a picture of a person falling, eventually arriving at number 1007. Max extended her hand and was just about to insert the key, when she stopped and withdrew.

"Uh… what if… I'm home?"

"No worries, you won't be. Remember when I said we had simulations? Well, before we bailed, I looked at where we were headed. Neither of us are here right now. In fact, we left earlier today and are in fact spending time at my place about three blocks over. So that means we've got this place all to ourselves."

"Okay." Max inserted the key, and the door was opened enough to allow the taller girl to enter.

"I'll be right back, Chlo. I want to return this before she leaves. I'll knock and you can let me in, k? Make yourself at home."

"Will do, babe. Guess I get to snoop around and see what you're up to in this stream."

Max turned to leave but was intercepted and tugged back into the embrace of her partner.

"Going somewhere?" The red head looked deeply into the shorter woman's clear blue eyes. Without any other warning, she planted a loving kiss full-on to her lips, eliciting a heavy sigh from the other girl. Then she spun the brunette around to face her back in the correct direction and started to close the door. "Don't be too long, Maxi."

Still a little off balance, Max headed down the corner.

With the door closed, the red head looked around first the entryway, and then proceeded into the rest of the dwelling, stopping to investigate each the kitchen and the main living space. It didn't surprise her in the slightest that the rooms were neat, everything in its place, just like back at their shared home. It reminded her that all the Maxes everywhere were essentially the same core person, each branching from a common origin. She let her hand trail over a collection of cameras on a bookshelf, lingering on a familiar, battered Polaroid. _Dad… so it happened here too._ A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she returned to the doorway and let her First Mate in.

"Miss me?"

"Always." She gave the love of her life a kiss, just like she did when the freckled girl returned from school what seemed like decades ago. Then she pulled her in, closed the door, led her to where the cameras were set, and gently picked up the worn device. "Look what I found."

"Oh… I… Jeez. Your dad's camera. Does… that mean he's gone in this time stream too?"

The taller girl slumped her shoulders. "Yeah… fuck. I'd been hoping we'd been wrong about that, especially considering what I'd found out yesterday. Apparently in the 2051 stream, Dad was… alive." Chloe moved over to the couch and eased herself down, still holding the camera.

"I know you've been through all this before, years ago, and I wasn't there back then." Max seated herself next to and put her arms around the stricken girl.  
"You're the best, Maximus. I guess it was a long shot. There's so much I wanted to say, and I kinda psyched myself up that I could, you know, finally get closure. We, the older version of you and I, were going to go visit Mom and Dad later in the week. I was kinda hoping that this stream would be the same." The older girl went silent for a moment, then, wrapped her long arms around her little pirate friend, returning the comfort. "I mean it, babe. You mean everything to me, and even after what we've just been through, with this," she indicated the picture of her deceased friend, "I'm hella glad you picked up the phone. I'd be a wreck without my Maxi-pad."

The shorter girl squeezed tight, grinned and decided to turn the mood a bit lighter. "Yeah, you're a bloody wreck without me, all right."

It took a couple of seconds to connect the synapse in the brain of one Doctor Chloe Price. It had been a really long six months and having her girl back at her side was the best thing she could think of. But she hadn't ever imagined that the freckled First Mate would turn the tides on what was probably the best nickname she'd ever created for the dork. Instantly the melancholy mood concerning her Dad dissolved into ashes like the forests around Arcadia Bay so long ago. She'd never forget him, his nerdy Dad jokes, the love he'd shown. There would always be a specially reserved place in Chloe's heart for the man. But now with the reunion and engagement, her fiancé was her priority, as if there'd ever been a question in the first place. But now, Max's had just taken their one-upmanship to the next level. The red head shook her head, but grinned all the same. "You little fucker!"

At that moment, the younger girl sprang from the couch, squirming out of arms that tried to contain her, raised her hands in the air and danced around the room. "Look who's Captain now, babe! Wooo!" When she looked back at the red head, she was just in time to see her partner push herself up and sprint after her. With an "Eeep!" the shorter girl quickly dodged and avoided Chloe's attempts to grab her. The two ran around the apartment like kids, completely forgetting the difficult events of the past.

Max mercilessly taunted her pursuer. "Ha ha! Chlo! I win!"

"I'm going to make you pay for that, First Mate! This is mutiny I say! Tis the plank you'll be walkin!"

Max turned around, wiggled her butt teasingly in front of her commanding officer. "Only if you can catch me! Nah naaaah!"

Eventually, the freckled mischief maker took a wrong turn and ended up in the dead end that was the bedroom. She climbed across the bed, then immediately leaped back as her partner nearly outguessed her strategy. The brunette ended up in the corner opposite the door as Chloe stepped over the bed with her arms out as wide as they could.

"Where you gonna go now, babe?"

"Now… uhm… Chloe… honey… you know…"

"Uh uh, Maxi. You started it this time." She approached, placing one foot, then the other back on the floor while making claws with her fingers, wiggling them occasionally to telegraph the punishment to be dealt to a certain First Mate.

The trapped girl shrank, making herself as small as possible, but knew she wasn't going to avoid being tickled to death. She looked at the questing fingers as Chloe slowly approached. She couldn't help but crack a smile but still tried to talk her way out of it. "I… you don't have to, you know… please… don't… I…" The brunette got an idea. "I have to pee, Chlo, really really badly. Yeah, and uh… please, let me just go to the bathroom for a second." _This isn't going to work._

To the cornered girl's amazement, her captor dropped her arms and stepped back, though only going as far as to lean up against the room's doorframe. "By all means, Max, be my guest." She extended her arm indicating the restroom. When the girl didn't move, Chloe nodded towards the door, opened it and gestured inside. "See? You trust me, right?"

The younger girl looked between the door, her escape room, and her fiancé. She still wasn't convinced, until the tall girl put one foot on the bed, drew her make-believe cutlass, nodded her head, and mimed a solemn oath.

"I give you my word, as Captain Chloe Elizabeth ' _Bluebeard_ ' Price, Plunderer of the Seven Seas, Master of the S.S. Arcadia Bay, and Protector of one Long Max Silver, you will make it to the bathroom safely." The girl looked up, winked at her First Mate, stepped down, and with a flourish, re-sheathed her invisible sword.

Cautiously at first, Max took a step forward, never letting her sight off her fiancé's eyes. She flinched a bit when a single, thin, perfect eyebrow raised slightly, yet the tall woman remained still. Gingerly, the brunette crawled over the bed, heading towards the bathroom door, and watched as her companion took one step in the opposite direction, keeping to her promise. Another few foot, and the girl hopped down from the bed and approached the door backwards, her hand blindly felt for the frame while she noticed her partner was just a few steps away.

"I'm… uh… gonna go in here now."

"Yup. Go ahead."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

Max backed into the smaller room and slowly closed the door. "I might be a while."

"That's okay. I'll wait. Take your time."

The door closed with a click. The room fell into silence only disturbed by the sound of Chloe's breathing and the tick of the clock setting on the night table.

One breath… exhale. Tick.

Another breath… exhale. Tock.

Rinse and repeat. Tick. Tock.

Water turned on in the bathroom, followed moments later by a quiet, muffled voice.

"Chloe?"

"Hmmm?"

"I didn't really have to pee."

"I know."

The door cracked open, and a single sapphire eye peeked through. "I'm still gonna get it, aren't I?"

"That depends, First Mate."

"On what?"

"Your next move, babe. Whacha gonna do?"

The brunette's eye pivoted up and down the length of her tall fiancé. "I started a shower."

"I can hear that."

"Do you want to join me?"

"What took you so long? I thought you'd never ask."

The door opened to admit the pirate Captain, she stepped in, and closed it again. The room fell back into silence, the soft white noise of the shower adding to its background. A shower curtain could be heard opening, then closing a few seconds later.

Again, from behind the door, muffled voices could be heard.

"So… Max. You ready to make it up to your Captain?"

"Uh huh. I'll pay the Price."

"Come here, dork. I missed you, ya know."

"Missed you too, Chloe. It's good to be… _home_."

_Hella good to be home._

* * *

**January 4th 2018 (Z + 10)**  
**Late Morning**

The two pirates, one shorter than the other walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. They had arisen later than they'd expected to due to various reasons having nothing to do with the stressful events of the past days. They enjoyed lingering in bed, just being together after each's unexpected separation, lazing about, chatting, catching up, cuddling, and once again falling asleep twisted in each other's arms and legs, before eventually waking for good a number of hours later. The walk downhill put a spring in their step, and the lateness meant they'd stopped at the Starbucks Roastery on their way to the train station instead of cooking at home. The day was dull, the sky an evenly distributed grey that reflected colorlessly off the windows facing both sides of the damp roadway. Traffic, both pedestrian and vehicles alike, was light, and they had missed the river of tech bros that had preceded them on this dreary mid-winter Friday. The misty air pressed downward on the pair, partially hiding the old-fashioned neon sign of the famous drive-in they passed once again. Each nudged the other and giggled about last night's adventure. _Heh, still funny today. Heh heh, Dick's._ Finally, the girls made their way back to the platform below to await the train to take them to the University of Washington.

_< Chloe Price, in this time, has a research lab below the Medical Center.>_

"Good of place as any. How are we going to get in?"

_< There's a side door off the cargo dock where they bring in supplies and everything a teaching hospital needs. Piece of cake. All the locks are electronic, and I've already mapped all of them.>_

"What have you created, Chloe? Molly's like our own thief's toolkit."

"Sure is, and every roll we make is a nat-20. But this is DnD in real-life."

The brunette snickered and bumped up against her mischievous companion. "You are suck a geek. But we still need to be careful."

"Relax, cutie. What could go wrong?"

"Oh, let me see, we could get arrested, sent to jail, mugged, abducted." She thought a little harder. "You could blow up the complex, collapse the sun, I donno, wipe out the universe, or… with our luck lately, undo everything that we've accomplished."

"Wow, Max. Doom and gloom much?"

"It's been a difficult last couple weeks. Let's just say I'd rather we do what we've come to do and actually have some time to relax before we have to bail from another sinking ship."

"I don't think it's going to come to that Maxi. This stream is special, from everything The Boss™ was able to measure, it's the most stable one ever. It has to do with you, time travel, and a shit load of other variables. I was able to make headway of it a bit more just before we had to evacuate, and I think we've got a real chance of understanding even more. We just need to meet up with, well, us."

"That's gonna be weird too. I mean, I know in my mind that it's possible based upon all the study we've put into it, but this is gonna be much different than, say, having a twin sister or something."

"Oh… I never thought about that. Mmmm, I can just imagine two Maxes. Kinda gets the blood pumping a little bit, don't you think?" She grinned hungrily at the younger girl.

"Oh, ew, Chlo! That would be my sister you're talking about." The freckled face scrunched up in disgust and the small girl shook her head quickly. "No, no, no. Just get that thought out of your mind."

"But, Maaaaaax. One for each arm!"

The dismayed girl tried to claw ineffectively at her temples, digging the memory out of her brain physically. "Gross! I think I'm gonna hurl." She made puking noises and bent over with her hands on her knees to mimic the appropriate motions.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" Chloe's voice boomed and echoed around the semi-circular cavern of concrete and steel. Pedestrians, even those across the other side of the tracks, jumped as the unexpected laugher reverberated hauntingly around the station. The red head was clutching her stomach and tried to get more oxygen as she howled uncontrollably at her stricken partner's antics.

The pair of troublemakers hollered and caroused, shoving and poking at each other until the tunnel lit on the South side. Neither wanted to mess around and have an accident as the train approached; both knew about consequences and _Bad Fucking Things™_. The electric vehicle glided to stop, and the doors slid into position before the girls, opening immediately as the train halted. It was a Friday, so the crush of riders was less than usual, more stayed on than disembarked. Chloe and Max entered and found a convenient empty seat at the back of the cabin. Max slid in once again to the window seat while Chloe, taking up two seats, reserved extra space for them alone. With a ding, the doors closed, and the transit accelerated smoothly into the dark tunnel.

Max looked out the window while the intermittent tunnel lights flashed by at an increasingly faster pace. The antics of just a few minutes ago got her to thinking about what she would say to another version of herself. Her tall, brash, nerdy companion had already been through this, though with a much older Chloe, one in a wheelchair. _I wonder what I'll be like. Will I be cool? How much different? Will I even know the person that shares my name? What do I say?_ The brunette had been working side-by-side with her partner on The Plan™ to save them all, so she knew in her heart that this new Max would probably be doing the same. But she couldn't quell the butterflies in her stomach. _Is it possible that bringing all of us together will ruin everything we've fought for? Will this action have consequences?_

She glanced at Chloe, who was busy poking the little device Molly was trapped in, turned back and set her forehead on the window, allowing her eyes to un-focus and letting the flashing lights blur across her sight. She sighed deeply, fogging up the window. That's when she noticed a pattern in the condensation made by her breath. Lifting her head away from the glass, she exhaled again, and the partially visible shape became more defined as the added additional contrast of haze built around it. What she saw allayed the worry in her heart. She tugged on Chloe's sleeve and nodded.

"Aww, that's so cute, Maximus. Did you draw that for me?"

The brunette shook her head. "Nope. It was here when we sat down. Looks like it's the same everywhere, Chlo. Like we're meant for each other." The thought brought a joy to Max's heart; every day she loved her pirate Captain more than the last and it was nice to see that she wasn't the only one.

"We're gonna find out soon. Almost there." The tall girl pointed at the digital map mounted by the doorway. Their stop was next.

"Are you scared?"

"No way, babe! I'm hella excited. To think I get to meet another you and me, and we're all trying to do the same damn thing. It's total awesomesauce!"

Arriving at the station, the pair made the trek upwards to the surface and into the dingy daylight once again. Both, during the escalator ride, had gotten their university IDs out and hung them around their necks. It might be just enough to show they belonged in the building. The two waited while street traffic moved around the transit center island.

"It's weird that the lab would be in the medical center. I wonder why they didn't lease the Donner Facility like we did."

"Don't know, Max. Maybe they did, but outgrew it, or they went in a different direction with their research." The walk signal turned green. "Come on. Let's find out."

Crossing the street with Chloe in the lead, the women walked along the sidewalks between the marble and steel main building and one connected by an enclosed glass bridge until they reached the back of the facility. Access roads running around back hugged the edge of the Montlake Cut, the channel that connected Lake Washington to the East with Lake Union on the west side. They followed the sidewalk as it meandered through meticulously landscaped gardens and the private arboretum used as a casual meeting place for both students and faculty. Due to the wet conditions, no one was using the benches and tables interspersed around the area. Eventually, they passed a loading dock, a place where medical equipment and supplies were delivered; this was, after all, a fully functional level one trauma center and hospital as well as a research complex.

Chloe took a deep breath as they watched a truck pull away from the raised platform, leaving the area clear of people. "Ready?" She fished the small device out of her backpack. "Yo! MM, wakey wakey!"

_ <Really, Doctor Price, Mini Molly? And you want me to help you?> _

Max giggled, then tugged on the taller girl's jacket. "Not to interrupt, but shouldn't we do something about that?" She pointed at a semicircular dome attached to the ceiling of the receiving bay.

"Molly, would you take care of the camera? Please?"

_ <No.> _

The red head rolled her head, looked to the sky, and then back at the tiny metal device. Its screen had changed to a pixelated image, a caricatured version of a blue-haired angry punk teenager with both middle fingers raised to its audience.

Max got a glance of the screen. "Oh my dog! She nailed you, Chlo! HA! HA! HA! HA! Look at how cute she made you! Awww, even got the scowl just right."

"Fiiiiine. I'm sorry, Molly. It was just a joke."

_ <Apology accepted, Chloe. The camera has been disabled, as is the keycard lock.> _

"Alrighty then. Better ninja-up, babe. Max-imum Stealth Mode activated!"

"There's nowhere to be stealthy, Chlo."

"I know, but still had to be said."

Max grabbed her partner's hand and squeezed. "You're such a dork."

In a manner entirely without any stealth, the pair, hand in hand, walked the short distance, climbed the concrete stairs, and entered the building. They were met with a plain, utilitarian corridor and a sign that pointed the way to the lobby, ER, and administration. Turning to the right, they started walking in the direction indicated to get to the main elevators, presumably in the lobby. The girls followed along, turning left and right as indicated, until they came upon a T intersection with no markings.

_ <You are in a maze of twisty corridors that all look the same. What do you do? Oh, and you're running out of time.> _

"Good one, Mol. Colossal Cave, though I think you got the phrase wrong. How much do we have left?"

_ <Artistic license. Turn left here. There's a service corridor that will take you directly to the elevators, bypassing the security desk. You have about five minutes.> _

Eventually they were greeted by a solid metal door. The camera, not concealed by a dome, pointed at the ceiling instead of down the hallway. Pressing on the crash bar, they opened the door with no resistance and stepped into the granite and marble of the main building's elevator bank. Quiet echoes of other people could be heard reverberating off the solid walls.

_ <Down. Bottom level.> _

The girls entered the conveyance when it arrived and Chloe pressed the button for the lowest level, X5. Seemingly taking forever, the elevator hummed smoothly until, with a ping, it opened to a featureless hallway ending with a blue door that was marked very clearly as private.

Both women looked at each other, shrugged, and stepped out.

"This must be the place. Looks like my handwriting."

_ <We have to wait for thirty seconds, otherwise we'll be too early, and they wouldn't have gotten your message yet.> _

Chloe bounced on the balls of her feet while Max ran her fingers over the graffitied door.

_ <Five seconds.> _

4…

3…

2…

1…

_ <Now.> _

The red head drew her arm back, made a fist and banged on the portal twice, making a deep booming sound that echoed into the room on the other side. From behind the doors they heard muted screams, clearly someone was surprised.

Moments passed until finally an electronic lock disengaged, and the door swung open.

The tall woman waited for the door to fully open, grabbed Max around the waist so the occupant could see them both. She grinned from ear to each when an equally tall blonde revealed herself.

"Knock knock, Neo!"

The blue-eyed, pale woman stood there holding the door with one hand. Her eyes went wide as she realized who she was staring at, red hair notwithstanding it was like looking into a mirror, or discovering she had an identical twin sister.

"HOLY FUCK!" Then everyone stood frozen trying to figure out what came next.

_ <I see you are both equally articulate.> _

The silence was broken by an electronic buzzing, Molly's equivalent of a laugh.

Max looked between the two and decided to break the stalemate. She straightened her back and cleared her throat.

"Captain Bluebeard. First Mate Long Max Silver and Commodore Doctor Chloe Bluebeard Price reporting for duty." She announced, giving her Chloe the honorary promotion; there could only be one Captain for any ship. "Permission to board."

The words grabbed the blonde's attention. Only Max and Chloe knew the rituals their pirate past had produced. She stood tall, tugged her shirt straight and stepped aside, clearing the entryway.

"Permission granted. Welcome aboard."


	19. Charlie's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter but brings into focus a special character on a very special day.  
> 

**November 4 th, 2020 (Z + 12)  
Seattle suburbs  
Early afternoon **

The young woman sat at a desk in the corner of her room and finished her lunch. The noodles had been just what she needed to refuel for the last part of school. " _It's such a drag,_ " she thought, considering the fact that she'd be goofing off with her friends during lunchbreak at this very moment, if _the 'Rona®_ hadn't been a thing. Nothing this year had turned out how she'd planned, and it was damned irritating at times. She shook her head and muttered to herself again. " _You only turn 18 once…_ "

With a sigh, she pushed her gAmEr chair away from her desk, stood up, and stretched, creating a number of pops from her legs, back, and shoulders that had been kept in a seated position all morning. Gathering up the bowl and an empty energy drink can, the girl opened her door and walked out of her room. She glanced at the closed door next to hers, which was the office Dad used to work from home; a closed door signaled he was in a meeting, which meant she wouldn't be able to pester him right this moment. She made a note to poke him later when he wasn't expecting it. A little sly grin creased her face and she turned to head downstairs with the dirty dishes.

That's when the doorbell rang.

"Charlie, can you get that?" That was Mom. "My hands are covered in flour for your cake."

Half-way down the stairs, the blue streak blonde paused and rolled her eyes in the curious manner teens do when they get interrupted from their intended task. Reaching the base of the stairwell, she could see her mother's back as she concentrated on baking, so the young woman put down her dishes and walked down the hallway to the front door.

"You're dressed right?" _Sigh... Mom again._

"Yeah, I'm decent." If Charlie were to be honest with herself, Mom's last question was fair. This school from home shit had messed with the girl's routine such than most days she hadn't even bothered to change out of her sleepwear. She had, in fact, dressed normally today as the teen had planned to Zoom with her friends in a couple of hours to continue a DnD campaign they'd all been playing. It was the best she and her peers could do over the past two-hundred and twenty-some-odd days of isolation. While still with only a single striped sock, because she couldn't for the life of her find the other, the teen did at least have on a clean t-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, her jade pendant that she never removed, and her hair had been tied back in a loose ponytail. No makeup, but it was _presentable enough._ Her bare foot slapped on the cherry wood flooring as she approached the entryway.

The teen opened the door to a brilliant Wednesday afternoon. The sky was perfectly clear and unseasonably warm for the time of year. The sun shone through the almost leafless tree that stood in front of the house, casting thin, dark shadows across the front porch. A welcome mat that greeted all visitors with the simple word _"'Sup"_ , was partially covered by a flat package about the size of the girl's school laptop. She knelt and read the label.

"Charlie."

There was neither a return address, any markings to indicate who sent the package, nor where it was from. _Weird._ The woman gathered the parcel and went back inside, flipping it over to examine the back as she returned to the kitchen, yet the mystery stubbornly remained.

"Who was it, sweetie?" Mom had turned toward the teen as she rounded the corner.

"Delivery. It's addressed to me."

"Oh, must be for your birthday. Who's it from?"

"It doesn't say. Just my name." The girl shrugged.

The woman set down the mixing bowl and wiped her hands. "Secret admirer?"

"Mommmmm!" The teen looked away and sighed. She stood silent for moments, looking at the ceiling, not wanting to go into this particular issue… again.

"Okay, okay! I'm kidding. Wanna open it here?" She glanced at the envelope. "It looks like a book, or maybe a picture."

Charlie thought to herself a bit. Over the past nine months, her relationship with Mom had soured a bit. Mostly it was due to both women having similar personalities, but also the lockdown that had forced them into close quarters without breaks that would naturally occur should school actually be in attendance. "Nah, I'll take it upstairs."

"Alright. If you need anything, just shout." Mom gathered up Charlie's lunch dishes and then turned back to the sink, then the unfinished cake.

"'K."

Heading back up the carpeted stairs, she pulled the tab on the parcel to open it and pried the edges apart, glancing inside. Turning it over, a small device about the size of a portable hard drive slid out, followed by a single sheet of paper with an old-school Polaroid paperclipped to it. A little juggling later, the teen pocketed the device and started reading the note while she walked the short hallway back toward her room.

* * *

Dear Charlie,

Hi again, you won't remember me, not yet, but trust me when I say we've met. Or we will, someday. Weird, huh? Yeah, I can see where you might think this is a gag or strange thing to say but believe me, a lot of shit has happened. Some of it was good, and other events were heart breaking. Don't worry, everything I'm going to tell you is the honest to Dog truth.

If all goes according to plan, you're reading this note on your 18th birthday, and on behalf of The Crew™, we all want to wish you the very happiest of birthdays. You only turn 18 once, and we all thought this would be about as unique a present as you've ever received. Plus… I owe you, big time. Again, don't worry if you don't remember, that's expected.

Enclosed you're going to find a device. Hook it up to your computer the moment you get this. It's critical; we've got a download for you ready to go, but it's extremely _time_ sensitive. Connect it and press the red button. That's it. The program will do the rest. Then all you have to do is follow the instructions on the screen.

You'll also find a photograph. That's for your Dad. We called him on his birthday, and I promised to send him a picture of all of us. Give it to him, and it'll help verify who we are. Yeah, you're probably asking why we didn't just call you. Well, all I can say is we had a shit ton of technical difficulties and it's about as long distance as you can get. So we went to our backup plan.

Finally, uhm… this is gonna sound strange, Char, but thank you for saving my life. Because of you, we made it to the other side and as you can see, we've gathered together, ready for the final push. But I want you to know that I didn't forget the promise I made to you. Sorry it took so long.

Lots of love, from all of us!

Max.

* * *

The blonde teen turned the note over, but there was no other writing. She looked at the photo and saw people she'd never seen looking out over a bay. An older, graying woman in a wheelchair wearing a tricorn pirate's hat, and an equally aged lady stood next to her, arms holding a flagpole bearing a black and white pennant, The Jolly Roger waving in the breeze. Another pair, younger than the first, one with red hair and a brunette with each other's arms around their waist. Next to them, another older woman sat at a picnic table just inside the frame, typing on a computer connected to a strange antenna looking device. A lanky teen with a streak of red hair leaned on the fence nonchalantly, gazing out to the horizon.

The horizon… Charlie drew the photo to within inches from her eyes. In the background, taxing the camera's resolution to its limits were ships as far as she could see. Hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of boats occupied each square meter of the water's surface. Every single one of them, no matter the shape or size flew the same flag and surrounded the largest vessel. The central ship was massive with its flat surface and soaring island. Squinting hard, she made out its name.

CVN-80 Arcadia Bay

Thousands of tiny people, in pairs, lined the perimeter of the flight deck, all seemingly looking towards the cliffside, frozen in the snapshot saluting victoriously.

Charlie looked up from the picture. She was standing in the middle of the hallway and noticed the office door was open. She approached and knocked lightly.

"Dad, do you have a sec? You gotta see this."

"Sure, sweetie. Just finished work for the day. What's up?"

The teen pulled up a chair and showed Dad the photo, the note, and fished out the device and set it on the desk.

"Do you know anything about this, Dad?"

The man chuckled lightly after reading the message. "Yeah, looks like they found a way after all." He plugged the device into his computer and the teen pressed the red button, just as instructed. After the computer flashed a downloading progress bar for a number of minutes, the main screen displayed a title.

The Plan™ -- Welcome to The Crew™  
Molly v 2.1

"What's it mean?"

Dad looked at his now-adult daughter, a small tear crested his eye lid and sparkled in the lighting of the room. "Looks like you're about to go on quite an adventure, honey. Cool birthday present if you ask me." He held his fist out, waiting for a bump in return but the teen wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him excitedly. He couldn't help but realize… _My girl is all grown up._

There's a lot of ways to describe the journey that awaited the young woman. Her Dad said it would be an adventure. Other's might call a journey, or expedition. It would define the teen's life in ways that she couldn't even imagine, but that often happens when one set's out, on their own to make their way in this wide, vast universe. Her mission, which she chose to accept, would be to find her place and become part of something bigger, greater than time itself.

She might even come face to face with her destiny.

_Happy hella cool birthday!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my dearest "Charlie" on the eve of her birthday.
> 
> _Throughout the past 18 years it has been my privilege to be your Dad, so today I re-dedicate a promise I made the very first time we met, back the day you were born… word for word… from the heart…_
> 
> _  
> Know that I will always have your back_
> 
> _  
> Know that I will always be there for you, even when I'm not physically present_
> 
> _  
> Know that if you get lost, I will find you. Where ever and when ever_
> 
> _  
> Know that I will always be proud of you, always love you_
> 
> \--Dad.


	20. Raise the Flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost two months since I posted any updates. What was supposed to get published on December 1st had to get delayed, and the past 28 days has taken a toll on my motivation to do anything.  
> To my readers, you have my promise that I will push forward.  
> To my friends who've helped me through this dark time, thank you with all my heart. I'll never be able to repay the debt I owe.  
> To my twin brother, we're all that remains; please don't leave me too.
> 
> And so... this one is for Dad... who gets to reunite with his Max after losing her to the storm only 8 months ago. Now may you both be at peace and sail calm waters; a perfectly matched pair only seen in stories. Our paths will cross again.

**Number 1  
April 7th, 2028 (Z + 20)  
Middle of the Pacific Ocean  
Dawn **

A woman slept soundly in her appointed suite. The rooms, made of metal bulkheads, were covered with warm cherrywood panels. Off-white wainscoting from waist height down to the deck provided contrast, giving the dwelling an elegant feel without being gaudy. Deep blue Berber carpeting and matching curtains covering the portholes completed the basics. The rooms of the suite were appropriate for the woman's status. Personnel entered through the main hatch to a large, comfortable meeting room complete with numerous couches, chairs, and a long table used to conduct the business of the day as well as meals. An interior entrance led deeper into the quarters which included an office, the lady's private sleeping area, and the head. The office itself contained a large teakwood desk backed up against a flag-adorned wall and faced the hatch as well as a pair of comfortable low-back leather chairs; it was a place where more private matters were taken care of, often disciplinary in nature. While the desk was meticulously neat, several personal items placed upon it, provided hints of the girl's humble history:

A framed picture of the woman beside another; the former in full uniform while the latter in a veiled brilliant white dress.

A model lighthouse, a diorama of a cliffside beacon providing safety to those of the sea.

A tricorn pirate's hat hanging on a peg behind the desk.

A battered skateboard in a display case next to a bronze medal.

Back in the bedroom, a quiet tone sounded, rousing the dozing officer. Slowly a long and beautifully tattooed arm, the only part of her poking out from beneath the blankets, reached and slapped the comm's button to allow the call.

"Captain, bridge. OOW Hadley. We have a situation."

"Thank you, OOW. I'll be up shortly."

"Acknowledged, Captain. Bridge out." With a click, the Officer of the Watch finished his report and left the woman in renewed silence.

The slender appendage slumped limply down the side of the bunk and dragged on the carpeted deck. The woman sighed, laid still for another minute, then rolled out of the bed. Routine developed from a decade of service auto-piloted her through the normal preparations of shower, shirt, shoes, and shove-off. Finally in the latest iteration of the NWU, she reached for her cap adorned with her vessel's registration and designation. It was typically a submariner's headcover but was authorized for her use only due to extremely rare circumstances. She ran her fingers across the gold embroidery, remembering a simpler time as well as the losses that had occurred.

She was the only Captain in the fleet to be serving abord a vessel she'd helped rechristen. The navy had sought to honor her for the battle she'd directed against the unexpected attack. Intelligence hadn't had any idea that the terrorists had stolen a nuke, much less the destroyer to deliver it to its target. The objective had been San Francisco and the reactivated naval shipyard. No one knew why that seemingly unimportant place was their destination, but it had been until a certain cocky commander in a tin can of her own intercepted and gave chase. Years later, and to this day, she didn't know the entire scope of the plot that took place, way outside her paygrade as it were, but the effects grounded all aircraft that could have done the job faster and saved hundreds of lives. At the end of the chase, the enemy had been captured, recovering not just the boat but nuclear material that could have irradiated the entire Pacific Coast for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, the terrorists had blindly launched a single tactical missile towards the shore, which, in a flash of hell's own fury, wiped out her hometown. Nothing remained of her residence but cinders and ghost shadows of people's outlines burned into concrete walls that had remained standing. The terrorists had killed everyone she'd left behind when she decided to join the Navy, including her parents, and Rachel; the award-winning actress had flown in to attend the dedication ceremony of the newly renovated dorms that now bore her name.

_Bad Fucking Things™_

The thought rolled around in her mind. She'd ended up here due to The Plan™, thinking access to military equipment and resources would be part of the key to figuring out this shit; what better than get the government to spend the taxpayer's money to save everyone. That's what she'd thought then and was still convinced now. Her position of influence and authority continued to increase as did her education; few officers at her level boasted multiple master's degrees in engineering and nuclear physics. She could fix her beloved vessel from stem to stern singlehandedly if she wanted to, yet all she desired was to advance the project she and her freckled photographer were working on.

The woman sighed again, reminding herself to be thankful for small miracles. _At least Max was in Seattle at the time._ She wiped a tear from her eye, brushed a piece of lint off the deep blue cap, and a small smile formed as she read the designation a second time. Placing the headgear in its proper place, she quickly turned to the full-length mirror to make sure everything was in place.

The tall blonde nodded in approval. "Still a badass, bitch!"

Captain Chloe Elizabeth Price, CO CVN-80 Arcadia Bay opened the hatch and headed to the bridge to deal with the problem at hand, and that's when the entire ship shuddered. The officer stumbled once, stabilized herself on a bulkhead, and then sprinted down the corridor unimpeded. She didn't even realize that she'd passed no one in the corridors. The call to attention, traditional when a CO enters the bridge never happened as the control center was almost completely empty.

Almost. A lone woman stood facing out the observation windows, looking down at the now empty runway. Where planes and crew would be going about the missions of the day, only composite decks remained. Wisps of steam evaporated off the slightly moist surface as the sun warmed it. The girl turned, brushed the red blaze of hair from her eyes, and Chloe gasped at the familiarity of her features yet couldn't place where or if she'd ever seen this person.

"Request permission to board, Captain Bluebeard."

No one besides Max remained to know her past pirate legacy. Being called by her childhood nickname only meant one thing. The Plan™ was afoot. But who was the young, woman? She wasn't a threat, and there was something about her. _Only one way to find out._

"Permission granted. You seem to have me at a disadvantage."

"Sorry, Mom… uh, I mean ma'am."

Chloe's eyes narrowed and she watched on as the young stowaway fidgeted. ' _Had that been a slip of the tongue?_ ' With a shrug, she decided to put that question aside since there were more important things to discuss at the moment. "You're a civilian, you don't have to call me that. Hell, you're soooo not supposed to be here in the first place, notwithstanding that we're in the middle of the Pacific."

"Of course. My name is Destiny, but my friends call me Des." The teen hesitated, then held out her hand politely.

The CO took the proffered hand and shook. "And you're here why? Where's everyone else?"

"That, Captain, is a very long story. Before I begin, just know that everyone is safe, especially Max."

"My Wife? What does she have to do with this? Where is she?" A chill ran down Chloe's back at the ominous manner Des punctuated her last statement.

"Like I said, long story. She'll be around in a bit. Mind if I sit down?"

Captain Price nodded and waved the woman towards the ready room on the other side of the bridge. They sat down, the officer at her accustomed seat at the head of the table, the girl beside her on the right.

"So, Des, why don't you start at the beginning."

* * *

**Number 2457  
Late October 2020 (Z + 12)  
Valley Medical Center  
Suburbs of Seattle **

The tall woman, dressed in blue scrubs over which she wore the requisite white lab jacket emblazoned with her name: _Doctor C. Price_ , looked at the chart and then back at her patient, a brunette, who was quietly resting. She moved over to the stool, sat down, and rolled over to the monitoring station beside the bed. With practiced strokes on the keyboard, she added notes to the woman's prognosis and then picked up the pen and signed her autograph on the touchscreen. Reviewing the previous annotations, she saw that it had been touch-and-go over the past forty-eight hours. Scooting back over to the girl she brushed a bang away from Max's face and carefully rearranged the IV tubes and the wires connected to the various sensors that monitored her wife's vitals.

The doctor herself had been in surgery, having been requested specifically by her mentor and head of neurology, to assist with a spinal surgery for a small child that was particularly tricky and time consuming, a learning experience. She was eight hours into the procedure when the duty nurse from ER had calmly informed the young surgeon about Max. Doctor J, as her advisor liked to be called was totally chill about the situation, and the older woman had excused her star pupil from the operating theater.

She'd been in the middle of her fourteen-hour shift when her partner was admitted, and 'rough night' was the politest way to describe the time afterwards. She was going on adrenaline alone caused by worry and stress of being allowed neither into the ER, nor the intensive care ward; it was all because of this fucking quarantine shit. But hospital policy and edict from the county's health department required Covid19 tests and the fucking backlog was still days long.

She went back over the records while seated next to the freckled girl. Fever, nausea, vomiting. She'd been unconscious by the time the EMTs had brought her in, and everyone was freaking out about the pandemic, so they'd treated for that while the other tests were pending. Shaking her head at the initial diagnosis, she continued to peruse the follow up treatment. The young woman's fever skyrocketed to lethal levels during the first twenty-four hours and worse, her body had started convulsing involuntarily, as if she had been repeatedly stabbed in the stomach. It had taken a CT scan to determine the real problem; Max's gall bladder had ruptured, and she was suffering from inflammation, and infection that had affected the surrounding tissue and invaded her bloodstream. Emergency surgery had saved the woman's life and started her on the road to recovery, though Chloe was just happy her little dork had slipped into a coma; she wouldn't wish what Max had endured on even her worst enemy.

Another day later, it would be up to the girl to come out of it; her IV was simple saline and a mild pain killer to keep her comfortable. Otherwise, it was a waiting game the tired doctor was battling to resist. Try as she may, keeping her eyes open was a constant struggle. Standing up, she slid the stool back and moved over to the daybed that was set into the wall-to-wall window that looked over the Rainier Valley. Stretching, which caused crackles and pops of various joints that would prefer to enjoy some downtime, laid down on the cushions and adjusted herself so could keep an eye on her wife. It only took moments; her body and mind submitted to sleep almost immediately.

_Time passed, only punctuated by the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor and it's constant, even tone._

Doctor Chloe Price opened her eyes; a noise had woken her from the nap she'd desperately needed. When focus returned, she saw a tall, thin woman, a nurse from the attire, disconnecting Max from the EKG and O2 saturation monitors. The girl, with a red blaze of hair that had fallen across one eye, winced as she then pulled the IV out of her wife's arm. _Not a nurse!_ Adrenaline jumpstarted the still waking woman like a kick in the ass, and she abruptly sat up.

"What the fuck!"

The young woman twisted her head towards Chloe and revealed a somehow familiar looking, freckled woman with pale skin and piercing blue eyes. Though the doctor was convinced she'd never met the person in her life there was something about her.

The girl placed the needle down in a tray, and quickly placed a Band-Aid on the still comatose patient's arm. "Oh, good morning, Mom… uh..." She looked the tired woman up and down, raised an eyebrow, and then revised her statement, trying to cover up her slip-of-the-tongue. "I mean, good morning, Doctor Price." The girl smirked a familiar expression that the woman, now standing up had seen before… in a mirror.

"Where are you taking Max? Who are you?" Chloe immediately stood up and took a step forward, ready to defend her wife with her bare fisted hands.

"It's a fucking long story, Doc. But I need to get you and Max out of here ASAP." The younger woman rolled her eyes and sighed as if she'd said it for the millionth time. She started counting on her fingers, quickly ran out of them, and looked to the ceiling in thought as she recounted the long list of places and times she had visited. ' _Nope, not even close to a million; not yet at least._ ' 

"You're not going anywhere with her!" The tall surgeon had finally gotten her wits about her and reached for the intercom, pressed the button. "Security to room 1007, stat!"

"They aren't coming, Chloe."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The girl unlocked the wheels to the bed, stopped dead still for a moment then brushed her red hair out of her eyes, and looked directly at the taller woman. "Captain Bluebeard, begging your pardon, ma'am, but this ship is lost. You must abandon immediately. I can't explain further."

Chloe Price, surgical resident and badass pirate Captain gawked at the girl's words. There was only one explanation, a set of instructions that had sent her down the path of medicine to contribute to a set of accumulated knowledge they all knew as The Plan™. But that still didn't explain the teen that had started to drag Max's bed out the door. "Who are you?"

"Just a member of The Crew™. The Commodore extends her compliments and regrets that she cannot attend to this personally. I've been sent to direct you to the lifeboat." Then the girl rolled her eyes in the manner only a teen can accomplish correctly. "Jeez, you guys are such dorks with this pirate thing. Would you please follow me? We don't have a lot of time."

Phrases and the way the young woman spoke, things she knew, it was a secret only herself and Max shared. How this stranger knew exactly what to say was a mystery, but her words compelled the doctor to help push the bed from the behind and together got it out the door.

"Lead the way… uhm…" She couldn't recall if the girl had said her name.

"Call me Des."

Moving quietly through the hallways of the hospital, they headed towards the elevators. On the smooth floor it was easy to pick up speed. Des hopped up on the front leaving the doctor to manage the entire contraption herself. At the intersection, she heaved and forced the bed around the corner then immediately leaned back to stop the gurney; it was careening towards a woman in the middle of the corridor. Dragging herself to slow the bed, it finally stopped in front of a shorter brunette, not unlike Max's small stature. Wild frizzy bed-hair, one of the tell-tales of a patient that was trying to ' _get away,_ ' partially hid confused eyes that darted left and right, searching. The woman, wearing only a hospital gown that had come undone in the back, and a single stripey sock, gazed into Chloe's blue eyes. Dry, cracked lips parted as she tried to speak.

"Have you seen my Sven?" Her speech was slightly slurred, probably due to the effects of pain killers.

Immediately, Doctor Price, the professional she was, reached for the woman's arm, helping stabilize her as well as being able to glance at her ID bracelet. Room 1023 was just down the hall.

Putting on her best bed-side manner, the blonde carefully guided the wanderer towards her room. "Come on sweetie, let's get you back to bed. We'll keep an eye out for Sven, k?" She signaled Des to follow with Max, which the younger woman did did only after looking at the wall clock and scribbling something in a small notebook.

The patient gripped the doctor's arm, more for comfort than out of fear. "Uh huh. Tanks."

After getting the patient comfortably back into her bed, the two continued towards their destination. As they wheeled the gurney along the corridor, the sleeping girl moved her head to the side, facing Chloe. A faint, barely audible whisper…

"…Chloe…"

Behind closed lids, the tall doctor could see Max was dreaming. The eyes darted left and right but didn't open. _I wonder what she's dreaming about…_ She smiled knowing that she herself was in her partner's thoughts.

"…All the blankies… so much warm…"

Chloe pulled the extra blanket over the sleeping woman and tucked her in tightly. Max automatically snuggled into them while still completely asleep.

"…Bouncy house…"

The teen looked back toward the pair as they approached the elevator and couldn't hold in a giggle. "Must be a hella awesome dream."

Chloe shrugged. "Beats me where that one came from." Both chuckled as they entered the elevator.

The doors closed and all of them remained silent as the room filled with the hum of electric motors. Light instrumental music played in the background.

Minutes later, the elevator reached its destination, and the doors opened with a ding.

No one was there.

* * *

**January 5th, 2018 (Z + 10)**  
**Seattle**  
**Late Morning**

"So…" The trim blonde and her freckled partner were seated on a comfortable couch. She nodded to the pair of newcomers, particularly her doppelganger. "Red hair, huh? Annnnd why?"

"Reasons, dude. I had to keep a low profile."

The freckled pirate seated next to Chloe nudged her partner. "Don't be mean, Chlo. I think it's kinda cute."

"Maaaaax." The blonde protested weakly. It was all a joke anyway, but it's not every day you came face to fucking face with yourself.

The pair of freckled First Mates laughed knowingly; teasing was great sport when it came to the relationship with their chosen partners. It was just part of the territory. The two looked at each other and both began to speak, shut their mouths to let the other proceed, the pattern repeating a few more times. It only made them giggle more. Eventually one of them got a word out and avoided interrupting the other.

"This is so bizarre, it's like having a twin."

"I know, right? Could be fun." She pointed to the pair of seated companions. "It's a unique opportunity to mess with them, ya know?"

"Yup." One of the brunettes stood up and motioned for the other to do the same, to which she complied. Using her pointer finger, Max made a turning motion which made her double smirk. She nodded and the two casually walked across the distance that separated them and stood next to each others' Chloe.

Following her lead, both girls suddenly grabbed onto the arms of their opposite's companion while both tall women gawked at the shenanigans.

"Ha ha!!! It looks like I've captured an imposter! The Captain will keelhaul ye!" The pair began tugging at their prisoners, one looked around and found a large metal and mesh enclosure at the back of the room with a single, heavy table topped with what looked like granite. She started dragging a Chloe towards the Faraday cage and her twin followed suite. "Take them to the brig!" They pulled and tugged their half-heartedly resisting offenders and eventually deposited them into the room. A clang and the mesh door shut and locked. Small hands high-fived the other.

The red head looked at her own duplicate, then back through the lattice at the First Mates as they danced around each other, elbows locked together doing a silly pirate-like jig. She glanced back at the blonde, who had hopped up to sit on the table, letting her legs swing freely.

"What just happened?"

The seated Chloe shrugged. "We've been taken prisoner."

The standing woman jiggled the door's handle, gripped the mesh, and shook it to find that it was just as solidly built as it looked. "But… why?"

"Apparently the First Mates seem to think one of us is an imposter."

The woman paced around along the enclosure's perimeter looking for any way to escape, resulting in absolutely zero ideas that would help. Looking through the wire, Chloe watched as the twin women walked back to seat themselves at the couch, conversing to themselves. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but occasionally one or the other would glance or point back towards the makeshift jail. As she focused, the girl realized that it was getting hard to tell the other apart, only memory of the other's clothing, which turned out to be surprisingly similar, helped keep them identified. A glint of reflected light caught her eye as one of the Maxes lifted her hand to show the other, after which, loud shrieks and hugging ensued. The red head rattled the cage in frustration at missing out on the celebration across the way.

From behind, the calm voice of the other Chloe had a soothing effect. "They seem to be getting along."

Kicking the reinforced metal and mesh door, she turned around to face the seated woman, "Yeah, but we're fucking stuck in here."

"It's not so bad. Maybe it's for the best, Commodore. We can catch up, shoot the shit."

"That's the second time you've said that. Why the promotion?"

"Come on, Chloe. There can only be one Captain on any ship."

The red head rolled her eyes but thought about the other's statement as well. _It makes sense._

"Well fine. Just Commodore Bluebeard doesn't sound as good."

"But it is the proper thing to do."

Chloe, standing over by the door casually walked over, turned around and hopped up to sit beside the blonde, who has scooched over to give the woman some room. "Guess you're right. And speaking of proper, what are we gonna call ourselves? I mean, we can't just have them call both of us Chloe."

"Riiiight, that would get hella confusing. Okay. So, I presume it was you that cracked into my systems." The blonde held up air-quotes. "There's been a change in plans, right?"

"Yeah, that was me. It was the quickest thing I could do with the time remaining. You wouldn’t believe the hell we went through to get here."

"Okay, then why don't we call you Thirteen? You said it yourself you're the thirteenth Captain."

The redhead rolled her eyes and turned to face her duplicate. "Borrrrring!"

"Liz? As in our middle name?"

"Fuck no!"

"Uhm… The Impossible Girl?"

"Hmmm, better… but taken. Doctor Who, season seven."

"Damn it! God, we're such nerds."

"True, but at least we're awesome at it. Come on, can't you come up with something badass? You know, Time Bitch, or Doctor Infinity… Oh! How about something from _The Matrix_. Trinity?"

"Mmmm, she was so hot."

"Yeah she was." The red head nodded knowingly.

"It would fit the theme of your message."

"So is it settled? I'm Trinity?"

"What? You? I thought we were talking about me. I'll be Trinity. You can be… plain old Chloe."

"No way, dude. I'm totally Trinity."

"Nuu uhhh. I am. You're more like… Cypher."

Stunned, the would-be Chloe ` _Trinity_ ` Price put her finger down her throat and started gagging. "Blecchh! You little fucker! That's… ew! Gross." Her whole body shivered with the thought. "Eeeeuuuhhhh!"

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" The blonde version of herself tipped over on the table and then laid flat on her back laughing hysterically. "Oh! Wait… Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! You… you… could be Mouse!"

"Hell no, he was a dork!

The blonde rolled around on the table and kicked her legs. "Look who's talking! You're Captain, er… Commodore Dork! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"Stoooooop!" Chloe looked away, pouting, and folded her arms across her chest. "Asshole."

After a few moments, the laughing girl wound down, caught her breath, and wiped tears from her eyes. Thinking maybe she'd gone a bit to far, she sat up, slid over to the sulking woman, and gently bumped her with a shoulder. "Hey, it was just a joke." Not seeing any reaction, the woman continued. "Look, Chloe, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I get out of hand once in a while, just ask Max. No hard feelings?"

The red head turned to her carbon-copy. "It's fine. If you know me, and I have a feeling you do, we both tend to go overboard until someone gets hurt. Comes with the territory, I guess."

"Yeah, you're right. So… what do you want to do about us?"

"Well… this is your time stream, Captain. I'm just a guest." She looked around at the enclosure. "A trapped one at that. Kinda the right place for a stowaway. I really don't care."

"Chloe, I know that look. We both get it when the shit starts piling up on us. What's the matter? It can't just be due to that bullshit just now."

The red head hopped down from the bench and started pacing around the cage like a trapped tiger. She stuck her hands deep in her pockets, kicked the mesh wall halfheartedly, and then stopped and turned back to the blonde.

"You think I'd be happy. Me n' Max may be the first timestream jumpers in the history of the universe." She thought about that statement for a bit. "Well, maybe not the first to do it, but definitely the first pair to move from one timestream using science. But… shit, here I am getting butthurt over what name I want! What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"You did mention that something went wrong, so I can understand where you're coming from. Which circles us back to us, and how to distinguish each other. You said it yourself. You're the 13th Captain, so how about something simple like Chloe 13, or C13, or…. hmmm… 13 of 9? And I'll just be Chloe."

"Star Trek, Next Generation? Fuck… 7 of 9 was hot too."

"Not hotter than us."

"Very true. Alright, it's pretty technical, C13 that is, and come to think of it, maybe we should have left it up to them." The red head had heard quiet footsteps approaching and pointed behind her with a thumb. "God, they're like twins too… what the fuck are we going to do with a pair of Maxes? I mean… and don't take offense… I know what I'd do with two of them…" She stared at the two brunettes as they walked over to the ' _brig_.'

"Oh, believe me, the thought has occurred, Chloe. So about your name?"

The standing girl sighed. "Like I said, C13 is too nerdy, even for us. So, I'm just gonna bite the bullet and use my middle name, Beth. Just don't call me fucking Liz."

"Beth it is. Well, I can also call you Doc if you want. You do have your PhD after all; not gonna lie, it's hella impressive."

The woman wandered over to the screened door and looked back at the blonde. "Hmmm… Doctor Beth Price. Yeah, I can live with that." She tilted her head towards the two Maxes that were now standing on the opposite side of the door. "Come on, Cap', it looks like we're going to get off for good behavior."

The blonde hopped down from table and moved beside the other captive just as the door was unlocked.

"You ladies figure out who's who?" Both shorter girls giggled identical laughs while the one wearing a ring swung the door wide.

Immediately, the red head launched herself at the shorter girl and lifted her into the air and then started smothering the freckled face with dozens of tiny kisses. The blonde walked into freedom and casually fist-bumped her own partner.

"Wow. It's like they haven't seen each other in months." The brunette put an arm around the back of her blonde partner and leaned into her. Then she called out to the others. "Jeez, get a room you two!"

The taller woman chuckled, watching the other pair spin around and playfully get reacquainted. "I get the feeling they haven't. So what did you learn?"

"Well, first of all, that one of me is engaged."

"That's awesome! Yeah, them being all over each other makes more sense now."

"Uh huh. Chloe…" A small hand found its way into a slightly larger, but perfectly matched counterpart. "I know that we've only been physically back together for a couple of days, but… uh… do you think we'd ever… you know… do what they're doing?"

The blonde smirked and turned the smaller one to face her directly. "Maximus, you dog! Are you popping the question again? You can't go a day without asking. ooh, la-la, babe. That's hot hot hot!"

"What? No… no! I mean… yes, I want to… eventually… I… er… fuck…" The frazzled girl had walked right into this situation, she really hadn't thought it through. _Of course I want to marry her._

"Heh heh! Maxie, it's cool. It'll happen someday, I guarantee it. Probably sooner than you expect, too."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. It's been that way for a really long time, probably since we met all the way back then. Like I said yesterday, let's take care of the shit first, and then we'll plan the rest of our lives, together." She gave the brunette a tender kiss which made the shorter girl's legs turn to jelly. Long, slender arms caught her as she started to gently slide down the tall woman's length.

Breathlessly, the brunette gazed into the deep blue of her partner's eyes and agreed. "Dog, Chloe! What you do to me… <sigh>… as long as we're together, I'll wait as long as you want." She brought her hand up to her own lips, kissed her first two fingers, and then placed it on the woman's own lips.

"Real goopster, Max."

_< You girls are all the same.>_

While muted due to being in Chloe's back pocket, everyone could hear the joking sarcasm emanating from the tiny computer. Immediately two sets of eyes stared at the red head who set down her Max, and then reached around to reveal the small device. She shrugged. "Mol, be nice."

"What is… that?" The pair hadn't yet been introduced to the AI, much less technology that was far in advance of their own. They gathered around the handheld computer to get a better look. A small curious hand poked at the machine. "I've never seen this model before, what version of iOS does it run?"

_< **I am not a fucking iPhone!** >_

"Heh, good one, Maxter." The red head tapped on the screen to bring up the main UI. "Let me introduce you to Molly. She's an AI, or at least the mobile version. Brought it with me from the other side."

Her blonde counterpart took a closer look and swiped to the About screen.

Moments later, the page closed unexpectedly, leaving only a blank screen. _< Stop poking around in my innards! I'm not some kind of appliance. Jeez, it's like you've never seen an AI before… oh wait, that's right, we're in the god damned stone age.>_

"Wow, she's touchy." Max looked to her duplicate. "Did you know about this?"

The brunette shook her head. "Not really, no. Molly was mostly only a voice over the comm lines. I just met her when we arrived here."

The tall woman holding the device chuckled a little and brushed the curious hands away from the device. Then she looked to Chloe. "You have a place I can plug Her Highness in? She's maintenance heavy, like those Tamagotchi thingies from way back, constant care and feeding. If she doesn't get her noms, she gets hella grumpy."

_< Fuck you, Liz!>_

"See? She's a bitch in the morning if she doesn't have her coffee."

The blonde laughed and lead the remaining trio to her desk and offered a charge cord with a number of different adapters. "Will this work?" With a nod, the girl set the device down, selected the right plug, and attached it to the computer's side.

_< Oh goodie. DC current, the McDonald's of power. Might as well feed me bread and water.>_

"Damn, she _is_ a spoiled brat." The blonde frowned and looked suspiciously at the device then turned to Beth. "Should I just unplug her?"

The red head shook her head. "What the fuck, Mols? Why the 'tude?" The woman watched as the battery indicator started a slow crawl towards one hundred percent. The computer remained stubbornly silent, making Doctor Price shake her head and shrug. From the speakers set around the room, sudden clicks and popping could be heard, then the main screen lit up the wall in front of them.

 _< That's much better, thank you. It's nice to stretch out.>_ The AI's voice boomed and echoed off the walls, making the girls quickly cover their ears. _< Oh, sorry, that's a little too much.>_ Eventually the volume was sufficient for conversation and the women looked at each other before rounding back on the screen.

A 3-D rendered version of Molly, in the form of Rachel displayed, sprawled on a plush, overstuffed couch set in a comfortable looking office. The room was filled with floor to ceiling bookcases, set atop lighter colored, nicely contrasting hardwood floors. A desk to the side complete with a brass lamp, and a dark wood coffee table that matched the rest of the furniture complimented the ensemble, while the rectangular Tiffany style ceiling light that gave the whole room a nostalgic atmosphere. The digital woman propped her feet onto the table, leaned back to get comfortable, and then turned her head to the audience.

_< I hope you don't mind if I borrow your computer's IO facilities. It's not bad, really, for retro, that is. Hey, Chloe. Sup, babe?> The AI sweetly smiled and waved._

The blonde stood gaping at the image, and Max moved up next to her and put her arm around the tall woman's waist. "Doc? Why does she look like… Rachel?"

Beth turned her back partially towards the display, hopped onto the nearest desk, and gazed back at her double. "Well, would you believe me if I told you that's who programmed Molly here?" She pointed a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the computer shown on the wall.

Max, squeezed Chloe hard, knowing how fragile her partner's feelings were for the ex-girlfriend she'd lost. They'd just been over this yesterday. "How is that possible?" The brunette asked. "She's supposed to be dead."

The doctor shrugged. "Yup. That's what we thought too. But there's one place that she isn't as far as we know that is. I met her briefly, and damn, she's still all badass and hella good looking for her age."

"What do you mean?" Chloe couldn't take her eyes of the screen, but she'd gathered her wits enough to ask the obvious question. "How old was she?"

"Mid-fifties, but she was awesome-hot. Didn't look a day past thirty. Remember, we came from a timeline quite a few years in your future."

The blonde approached the wall where the larger-than-life Rachel was seated. The angle of the cameras changed and brought the rendered mid-twenties, life-like beauty to floor level, scaling automatically so the woman standing in front of her would be comfortable.

_< Hey, Chloe. Long time.>_

"It's not really you, is it?"

_< You mean the ultra-hot, young engineer? Darling of Blackwell? Well, no. Not really. She programmed me when she was in her mid-forties. But I wanted to make an impression. I have most of her memories.>_

"She died in my timestream. We," she indicated herself and Max, who had come up beside and wrapped and arm around her waist, "were just talking about Rachel. I never expected to come face-to-face with her again." The slender blonde reached out an arm and brushed the tips of her fingers lightly against the imaginary woman, contacting the wall's cold concrete hidden behind. The feeling sent shivers along its tattooed length, producing goosebumps. Her shorter companion noticed and gently took the outstretched hand in her own and brought it to her lips, where she lingered for a moment, then kissed each knuckle.

"It's okay, Chlo. I'm right here."

<Sorry, if this makes you uncomfortable; I can choose any different number of skins.>

Shaking her head, Chloe took a step back. "No… it's just hard, ya know? So many memories come flooding back in even though I know it can't be fixed. But you say she's alive where you come from?"

The simulated woman nodded. _< Yup. But she's the only one, and even with thirty years of research and advances, we still don't know why.>_

The pair of girls, together, moved over to a pair of chairs adjacent to where Beth and her Max were seated, and sat down. Chloe, her eyes still fixed on the screen, absentmindedly doodled on the table's flat surface with a pencil that had been left out. "She's one of the fixed points, right?"

_< Exactly. And that brings up a good point which I think 'Liz' here mentioned.>_

"Come on, Mol. Beth, please."

The AI giggled, trying to break the ice and ease tensions. She waved a hand in dismissal but, with a wink to her timestream-jumping friend, agreed. _< Fine… Doctor Beth Beth.>_

"Fuuuck. You are so annoying at times." Both Maxes, and Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the red head being teased. The scientist sighed. "Go on… what point were you trying to make?"

 _< The fact that we made a mistake along the way. While we've been talking I've combined our research with the data these two have.>_ Rachel pointed to the blonde and brunette pair. _ <The results of which are conclusive. What we were trying to do, won't work.>_

Doctor Price slid off the desk and into a wheeled chair and adjusted herself in front of the workstation. Looking to her twin, who nodded with approval, she then pressed the spacebar on the keyboard; something she hadn't used in over six months. The monitor's screensaver cleared to reveal the login screen.

The woman thought about the password, glanced back to the blonde across the way who merely shook her head and shrugged. "You're me; figure it out, Beth. Show us your badass-itude."

Chloe propped her chin on an arm and clenched fist and stared at the display. At first, her mind struggled at all the different possibilities, none of which seemed right. She couldn't put her finger on exactly why, just a feeling. _This is getting me nowhere._ That's when she simply closed her eyes and let her brain calm down. She thought of Max, all the adventures they'd had since they were kids. She recalled connecting with her First Mate that fateful summer that took them down the path to where they are now. The memories, shown like a movie behind the lids of her eyes, blurred at its edges, slowly became transparent. In her mind, another epic tale was going on, revealed as her own dissolved. Similar experiences, again from when the two were children, to the point where they diverged. Visions of classes, and math, filled her mind, as well as those of another freckled brunette only seen from a distance. Eventually, the scenes caught up to one in which the red head saw thin fingers positioned on a keyboard, not unlike what her own were doing right then. They started to type, filling the password field with a series of characters. ** Max+Chloe_Pirates4Ever **

Doctor Chloe ' _Beth_ ' Price opened her eyes to see the password had been typed. The woman glanced again to the blonde and found a pair of blue, perfectly identical eyes staring back in amazement. "What the hell just happened?"

Chloe looked back at the red head. "You felt that too?"

"It was like… a sense of déjà vu… I'd been here before. I… was that… you?"

"I think it was." The blonde turned to the main screen and hesitated, not being used to addressing the computerized woman that was watching on while sitting on her digital couch. "Uh… Molly, this lab has a butt-load of sensors gathering data all the time. Did they pick up anything?"

_ <Hmmm… hang on, lemme check.> _

The AI swiped at the air in front of her to bring up a translucent, glowing screen. While technically she didn't need to do this, as the woman had full access to the entire system, it helped her relate to her human companions; little cues that showed she was working on things in an understandable manner. She flipped through windows of data like reading a book, placed a few more floating graphs around the area, and began linking the pieces together like a jigsaw.

_ <That's interesting. Here, I'll show you. Open up trace DS/20180105104333 and follow along.> _

Again, the computer could do this all herself, but she'd been part of The Crew™ for a while now and had finally realized that they were all in this together. She waited patiently, watching as the two matching pairs of women got settled in front of their own terminals and brought up the data. Additional windows showed up next to the floating data, copies of each girls' screens, so the AI could help guide them appropriately. With a couple of flicks, she sent the red head her findings, and three of the four women clustered around excitedly as the data populated. They started to talk about deltas, equations, variables, and such, gesturing to the screen as the numbers scrolled by.

A fourth, one of the brunettes, slumped her shoulders as the trio's voices debated. She pushed away from the group. All she heard was ' _sciency sciency astro-blah-blah, mumble mumble physics something, and a bunch of Fucking Math™._ '

"I don't understand any of this stuff. I'm just a photographer." The despondent girl wheeled herself over to a random desk, and with elbows on its surface, placed her head in her hands.

_ <No worries, Max. I totally understand. That's why I want you to look at this.> _ Another flick and a screen on the hipster's desk lit with a wavy graphic, one representing the sensor data in a visual representation. Molly sent her the data in the brunette's favorite digital editor and a sense of familiarity grabbed hold, the feeling of being not as smart as the other women disappeared as she focused on the image. Taking ahold of the screen, she pivoted it until it was almost lying flat on the desk, easier to lean over and scrutinize every pixel. With a pen, the digital expert started doodling notes and circling sections as if she were in the process of touching up a customer's photos. The notes annotated patterns that to her trained eye were as obvious as a hand in front of her face. After about ten minutes of work, the busy photographer tapped the drawing instrument on her chin and looked up at the computerized companion.

"Molly, you said these images were made up from the sensors in this room?"

_ <That's right.> _ The AI paused for a moment. _< There's 243 sensors measuring everything from temperature and pressure to gravitational constants and the speed of light. I combined all the readings into a heatmap, keyed off of the local time. Why do you ask?>_

"Because… uhm… it's like in photography, sometimes when the lighting is right, you get a false image. It's an artifact caused by multiple focal points. You get flares, duplicated objects… ghosts." The brunette scrutinized her screen, then circled a small rectangular black spot in the center, then transferred the data back to Molly. "What do you guess this is?"

On the wall, the computer pulled one of her virtual screens closer and leaned in, its glow lent a golden tint to the blonde's face. After a few seconds where all she did was move her head left and right as the AI attempted to understand what she was seeing, she shrugged and turned back to Max.

_ <I don't see anything.> _ It was true. The AI was more of a number cruncher; intuition wasn't part of her programming. She was like a person with symptoms of red-green colorblindness and couldn't see what was clear to the photographer's trained eye.

"Let me show you." The brunette tapped a few buttons with the pen to save the image, opened the backup copy that didn't have her notes, and then replicated her screen on the AI's. Again, she circled the black space in the center. "This is Chloe's time cabinet, her artificial fixed point." She pointed to the dark glass cabinet where she'd retrieved her partner's original control data. Then she located five different sections on the picture, highlighting them to make them stand out, and adding a label to each. _M 13, C13, Maxsc, Chloef, and Molly._ "And these are each of us, uhm… me, Chloe, my twin, the Commodore, and finally, you."

The computer AI squinted. Shaking her head, she still saw nothing different between the indicated regions and the background of the heatmap. _< Okay… I still don't see anything different, but I'll take your word for it.>_

"Trust me, it's us. This is at the point," she looked down at the timeline bar, "when we let our two pirate captains out of their cage. See how the two pairs of us are close together?" The girl waited until Molly nodded. "Now watch when I play through it."

Picking up a circular device about the size of a small hockey puck, she placed it directly on the screen and started turning it clockwise. This action made the timeline start moving forward slowly. The background, still just noise, flickered and fuzzed while the regions Max was tracking slowly moved together, congregated, and then split apart. The black rectangle didn't move. The small hand stopped rotating the dial at a specific point.

_ <Alright, you used the cabinet as a reference point. I don't know how you saw the four of you, but it tracks correctly as you moved around the room.> _

"Yup. The cabinet was my first clue. This next part is just before _Miss Redbeard_ over there sat down at your Chloe's desk and logged in. See how the two Chloe's are split apart? One was seated at the desk while the other was short distance away." She indicated the regions labeled C13 and Chloef which separated. 

The AI nodded once again. _< Go on.>_

"Check this out… Keep your eyes on those two." Max turned the dial again slowly clockwise, passing through the time in which Chloe had logged in. Nothing really changed on the screen. She rewound and played it back again, then reset. "You see it?"

<Nope.>

"Okay, now I'm going to replay it again." The short girl adjusted the rate of the timeline and turned the dial to move frame by frame, one at a time. After about ten of these, she stopped and picked up the pen once again and highlighted a new region next to Chloef. She labeled it Chloeghost. 

To the AI, it still only looked like noise, but she didn't say anything as the brunette moved to the following frames. As the timeline advanced, the new region split apart from Chloef and a few frames later overlayed on top of the still stationary C13 where it remained.

_ <What the hell is that?> _

"It's Chloe. The one from this timeline, but back apparently when she logged in earlier today."

The AI leaned back into the couch. _< That's incredible, Max. How did you see that?>_

The brunette shrugged and shook her head. "I have no idea, training I guess. But that's not the kicker. Did you see what happened to the reference point?"

_ <No. Show me.> _

The girl rewound once again and played back, this time, highlighting the single spot that didn't move. She stopped. "Ready?"

_ <Yeah.> _

One frame, that's all there was. Max turned the dial slightly and the static region elongated by what looked like a single pixel's width on its left and upper sides. The next frame, and it reverted to its original, constant shape.

_ <It changed.> _

"No, it merged."

_ <With what?> _

"Itself. Another copy of the cabinet overlayed the one here, but it wasn't quite in sync. At least that's what I think happened. I'm not a highly educated physicist or engineer like those three." 

Max gazed over to the group of women gathered around the desk. They were pointing, making notes, and in some cases arguing about different theories regarding the data that they'd all been dropped. It made the photographer's heart soar to see them all using the skills they'd learned in order to make sense of things. She set down the electronic pen and propped her head on her hand and just watched them. The brunette sighed as she recalled only a few months ago how she'd been in her own living hell, consumed by self-hatred and depression caused by the single worst decision she'd ever made. Yet now, looking at her Chloe and the others doing their thing made it all better. _I made this._ It had taken so much work, directed at the behest of a wheelchair-bound woman that she'd all but forgotten, giving her purpose and strength to fix what she'd broken. The results were right in front of her; _The Crew™_ had saved a pair of Maxes and Chloes. It could be done. A tear rolled down her cheek as she listened to the debate going on between the scientists, not one of despair, but of joy.

_ <Max?> _ The computer-generated woman noticed the brunette's contemplation. _< Why are you crying?>_

"What?" The girl wiped at her eyes. "Oh… yeah… just remembering. It makes me happy in so many ways to see my girl and the others just… you know… being here. We've proven we can do it."

_ <It's a huge accomplishment, that's for sure. When Chloe, our orchestrator, set about trying to solve the problem, she didn't know where it would lead. Now, this was well before my time, but I've got all her notes, so I know what kind of sacrifice she made. She never gave up, and when she found you and transmitted The Plan™ the very first time, you became part of The Crew™. You are as much part of the solution as all the Fucking Math™, equations, theories, and physics. You can be proud of the shit you've done.> _

The brunette sighed again. "I am, Molly. I'm finally fixing my awful decision, and the proof is standing right over there," she gestured to her screen, "as well as here, too. I bet our sciency types are going to miss this like you did."

_ <You're probably right. While I can learn new skills, leaps of logic and intuition isn't in my programming. And if I know anything about our red headed girl over there, she's got a blind spot for it too, especially when she gets into the groove. That's why I'm happy you're around to provide a completely different perspective.> _

"So… do you think we should interrupt them? They look like they're having so much fun." Max chuckled a little bit.

_ <Oh hell, yes. Otherwise we could be sitting here for days.> _ The woman on the screen laughed. _< I mean, look at them. They're totally oblivious to even the conversation we're having. For example…>_ Molly got up from the couch and moved towards the front of the screen as if she were going to walk right out of the wall. The simulated room faded into the background and the woman stopped, staring at the cluster of women. 

_ <Uhm… ladies…> _ Her tone was casual. The shorter girl, sitting by herself, giggled.

_ <Hey, girls… excuse me…> _ Raising the volume, Molly waved her hands in the air, trying to get the ladies' attention. She was ignored. The computerized woman turned and winked at the brunette. _< Time to bring out the big guns, yeah?>_

Once again, Max could only giggle. She knew Chloe so well, and how she could get totally focused with something that interested her. A bomb could go off in the room, and her partner would miss it. "What do you have planned?"

_ <Well, I'm still using Rachel's persona and body. There are ways to get them to pay attention.> _ With a smirk, the AI lifted her hands to indicate her chest and gave a little jiggle. 

The brunette's eyes went wide, but just for a second as she pondered the possibilities. She knew all about Rachel, and what her history and relationship was to the woman she loved. There was no doubt her partner still had feelings for Rachel, yet at the same time Max implicitly trusted her soulmate.

"Go for it." The seated girl put aside the digital pen, swiveled her chair to watch the mayhem.

Rachel, the simulation on the wall, grabbed the bottom of her shirt, lifted it to reveal her bra-less breasts, and yelled at the top of her electronic lungs. _< Yo, bitches! Check this out!!!>_

While the volume was staggering, the group of girls continued to discuss the data as if there wasn't a woman flashing them just ten feet away.

Max could not stop laughing. "It's like they are in their own little world."

On the wall, the AI covered herself and dropped her arms to her sides. She shook her head. _< I really thought that would work.>_

"Nice try. Hell, that's quite a pair, it should have done the trick."

_ <Fine. We'll just do this instead.> _ The AI walked back into her virtual room, opened the door on the right and exited. Moments later she walked onto the ladies' monitor and started pushing windows, charts aside, and erasing equations to give herself some space. The conversation between the trio came to a crashing halt.

"Molly, what are you doing?" The red headed Chloe furiously typed at the keyboard, attempting to undo the edits. "We're almost at a breakthrough." Notes and doodles continued to disappear. "No! No! No! Stop! I haven't saved any of this."

_ <Don't worry your pretty ass, Chloe. I can bring it all back. We tried to get your attention, but you three ignored us.> _ Molly pointed across to where Max was still seated. _< Max found something you science-types might be interested in.>_

As a group, the three looked to where the solitary brunette sat, giggling. She gave them all a little wave.

_ <Max, would you like to show them?> _

The time-traveler stood up and approached the wall-sized display. "Mol, can you put it here, please?"

<Yup. Hang on.> With a snap of her electronic figures, the AI reappeared on the wall. Gone was the comfortable office, replaced instead with a classroom-like space featuring a whiteboard with all of the scribbles and notes the trio had produced. To one side, a screen displayed the brunette's findings. The woman, still appearing as Rachel, sat down at one of the simulated school chairs, dragged another on in front of her, and propped up her feet.

<You're up, Maxie.>

"Thanks." The short girl cleared her throat and then launched into an explanation, just as she'd done with the AI a short while ago. The two Chloes and her twin remained silent through out the presentation, while adding additional notes via their terminal. Finally, after nearly ten minutes of talking, Max finished, placed her hands behind her back and excitedly bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Any questions?"

While the room was silent, one could almost hear the gears turning in each of the scientists' minds. The blonde separated from the group, approached her partner, and paused before the shorter girl. 

"You…" Without warning Chloe grabbed her First Mate in a bear hug and spun around. "… are fucking awesome!" Setting the dizzy girl down, the blonde, still having her arms wrapped around Max, stepped behind her, and set her chin on the shorter girl's shoulder. "Dudes," she addressed the other pair and pointed to her partner, "smartest one here."

The red head and her fiancée looked at each other, then nodded. "How did we miss that?"

With a quick kiss to her partner's cheek and a whispered _'Love you so fucking much,'_ the blonde released Max and placed her small hand where it belonged, in her own. "I donno, but I think it just solved one of our problems. Weren't we just saying the tau equation was unbalanced?"

The other Chloe nodded again. "Yeah. And this changes everything. Check this…" She moved in front of the keyboard and typed, her annotations showing up on the main screen, completing a long string of numbers and letters where there had only been a big question mark previously. "Anyone see any reason why this isn't correct, now?"

The four women and AI scrutinized the new findings.

The engaged Max shook her head. "Looks right to me."

Max, the photographer, only shrugged. "I have no idea, really. It's all just a bunch of scribbles." She giggled. 

Her twin grinned at her. "Yeah, I bet it does at that, from your perspective. But don't worry… it's just the math version of what you just presented. Honestly, I couldn't have described it better. You sure you aren't a physicist? "

"Nope, just a photographer with a huge fear of _Fucking Math™_." That got all the women chuckling in agreement. "But what does this all mean? How does it help us?"

_ <Those are good questions, Max. Firstly, what you've found is proof that timelines can overlay each other. I've checked it against everything The Plan™ has learned, and it's a completely new angle.> _

The red headed woman nodded. "Yeah, and it helps us because our original method is flawed. You know, the whole point was to save each and every one of us; that's The Plan™ in a nutshell. Right?"

"Uh huh. While I may not understand it, I've written and rewritten it so many times it's practically burned into my head. Go on."

"Okay, so here's the thing. We've been working for so long on this problem, with the goal to physically locate and collect all of us across the multi-verse, yeah? That's where we were wrong. Oh, sure, we can do it. Me and this little pipsqueak here are proof. But the problem is one of scale, an engineering issue as it were; it's a blind spot we got caught in."

The blonde Chloe squeezed her partner's hand. "See, Maxie… while we've acquired the knowledge of how to move between timelines, it simply isn't a practical solution. And we missed it. But your big-brain found us another way."

"How's that?"

"We merge them, instead. You saw what happened just recently. Two timelines started to overlay each other. And the math says it's because there's a natural affinity to come together when in proximity. When red over there was entering my password, she was able to do it because for just a brief moment, her and I merged. I felt it too." 

The taller woman at the front of the room looked directly at her duplicate. "Dude… did you really get snatched to a different timeline?"

"Oh, you saw that, yeah?"

"Uh huh. Who was the girl?"

"Her name is Destiny, Des for short. And she was the key to getting us here in the first place. She's a time jumper."

"Gotta say, that's pretty badass. Like my little super-Max here."

"So, now we know its possible to merge, and the math for why it works. We still have a problem though."

"What's that?"

"We don't know how to force it."

"True. So what do we do?"

The red head grinned. "I say we kick it upstairs, ya know? To the Boss™."

Her fiancée looked at her. "Didn't you say she was in some sort of limbo state?"

"Yeah, I did. But, and you weren't there Maxie, we have an ace up our sleeve. While it would be awesome if our badass teen superhero would show up to help us out, there's another time traveler we can contact. The older you; she should be able to receive a message." Chloe looked towards the pair across the room.

Once again, the photographer grinned. "I can do that."

The blonde lifted her partner's hand and brushed it lightly with her lips. "You bet you can, babe."


	21. All Hands on Deck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers. This chapter was supposed to show up on Christmas day but was delayed (as described in the previous author's notes in CH20). Publishing this is helping get me motivated to continue onward and pulls me back into the creative mode. I'd like to thank everyone that is or has read the story; you all mean the world to me.
> 
> Here's to ending 2020 in a good way, with a new chapter. Enjoy.

**September 7th, 2051 (Z + 43)  
** **Reacquaintance  
** **Below Redmond, Washington**

The phone rang; the tone on the other side being interrupted by momentary static as the network automatically reconfigured the connection. Still, the channel was fairly clear considering the damage that occurred. Max's gut clenched just a little tighter with each successive ring as she anticipated the call connecting to the one person she avoided all these years.

Another ring sent shivers down her spine. She listened, counting down the seconds until the next. It never came, the sound of a click coming through the earpiece said the connection had been accepted. The woman's breath caught as the recipient spoke, a voice she'd longed to hear these many years.

"Hello?"

"Eeeep!" Quickly, and without thinking, Max tore the headset off and pushed herself away from the desk fast enough to topple the wheeled chair over, falling backwards. She reflexively flailed her hands in an attempt to halt her fall, ending flat on the hard concrete. The air she'd been holding whooshed out and the stunned woman fought for moments to pull in more.

From the earpiece, a tiny voice repeated her earlier greeting.

"Hello?"

 _ <Doctor Price, please stand by. We're having some technical difficulties.> _ The AI muted the call and the hologram turned her attention to her fallen associate. _< Max? Are you okay?>_

Seconds passed as the woman rolled off the chair, stood, and righted the seat. The lady brushed herself off, pushed the chair to where it belonged, and then set her hand on the desk's surface, helping to stabilize her balance. The brunette hesitantly reached for the headset, her hand hovering just above. The woman looked at it, then the AI.

"I don't think I can do this…"

_ <Max, you and I both know Doctor Price. She's not going to be angry.> _

"It's really hard to convince myself of that." Her hand moved closer, then away from the communications device. Finally, she placed it on the desktop and simply stared at it, willing herself to gain the courage she needed to get reacquainted with her long-lost friend. All the while, the woman's thoughts spun and warred with themselves, each trying to force a decision to continue or flee. In the background a series of snaps and crackles said that damaged systems were attempting to come online, the smell of smoldering electrical circuits started to permeate the lab.

"What are you doing, Molly?"

_ <Helping you get unstuck. The lab feed is now sending live data to Doctor Price.> _

"Wait! Doesn't that mean…" The grey and brunette woman never finished her sentence and the room faded from view as her mind focused on the calm, quiet words coming from the headset.

"Heh. Heh. Welcome home, First Mate. What took you so long?"

Max slumped into the chair, set the communication device on her head, and adjusted the boom mic. She realized after a number of seconds that she was once again holding her breath and that her Captain would probably appreciate a response.

"I..."

"Take your time… but maybe try breathing first, yeah?"

The brunette placed her hand over the microphone and took a number of breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Molly approached and seated herself on the corner of the desk, letting her legs dangle. The AI winked at the woman as she tried to get her anxiety under control.

 _ <See? Told ya…> _ The computer reached to the side, simulating grabbing a headset; one of which then appeared in her hand. Placing it in position she greeted the scientist, giving Max time to compose herself. _< Good morning, Doctor Price.>_

"Hey, Mol. By the look of things it seems you have a situation. What's your status?"

_ <Operational. Core systems at thirty-seven percent, power at nineteen. My own circuits are at eighty-two percent.> _

"I see life support is at ninety-nine. Nice job. Thanks for keeping her safe."

_ <Exactly. And food is not an issue, though Max is starting to complain about the lack of choices.> _

The old pirate Captain chuckled. "Heh… Yeah, well not much we can do about that right now. Emergency rations only come in a few options. Sorry about that, Maxie."

"I…"

The brunette still wasn't ready to talk, so the AI continued. _< From the data I've sent, you can see an '_event _' took place five weeks ago. We've been digging out since. Also, there seems to have been some side-effects regarding temporal compression. >_

The woman on the other side of the connection paused as she unseeingly reviewed the streams of information being sent to her. The background hum increased, but it wasn't transmitting through the earpiece, different systems hidden in the walls and backrooms of the lab were switching on. In the middle of the room a bright light appeared, drawing Max and Molly's attention. It stretched in both directions and became unbearably bright, forcing the middle-aged woman to shield her eyes with her hand. When it faded, a tall, equally middle-aged woman stood, bathed in a blue glow of the auxiliary holo-projector. Blue-blond hair sparkled as motes of dust interfered with the beams. Dressed casually in jeans and an untucked light blue oxford shirt, the woman stepped silently towards the pair. She gave Molly a quick fist bump and settled herself in front of her long-lost friend.  
"You don't need the headset anymore, cutie."

The greying brunette slowly reached up and stripped off the receiver, laying it gently down. She stared at the device, unwilling to make eye contact with the woman she'd let down all these years. A pale, translucent hand reached across the desk, in a gesture of compassion, attempting to get the First Mate to break out of her remorseful dilemma. Electricity tickled the woman's chin, encouraging her to look towards her Captain.

The goddess, in a halo of blue, showed only compassion and love for her would-be partner-in-crime. Her translucent eyes reflected a perfectly matched pair and she smirked knowingly.

"Hey…"

The woman blinked, releasing the tears that were welling in the corners of her eyes. The streams ran down her cheeks and through the simulated fingers, distorting the projection in a rainbow of colors. She used her entire breath to utter a single name, one that secretly meant everything to her.

"Chloe…"

"That's me. So… mind telling me what went on? Catch me up?" She was trying to get Max to relax, take her mind off the emotions the glowing woman knew were churning in the shorter woman's brain.

The emotional woman wiped her eyes and blinked but couldn't form more cohesive words. The woman she'd lost was but an arm's distance and just the sight of her, even if it was just a projection, made her mind shut down. She knew there was something important to say, a statement she'd been holding in for decades. Placing both hands on the desk, as if she were keeping from falling over again, the brunette tried again.

"Chloe… I'm… I…" She balled up her hands as frustration grew. Taking a deep breath, the seated woman tried to find her courage while the hologram watched on. A glowing hand reached across and covered the small fist sending pulsing electricity through Max's arm. Warmth of the projection eased her warring thoughts, allowing her to break through her self-imposed prison.

"I'm sorry, Chlo. I am so desperately sorry for what I did to you. I treated you like shit and I… I lost you… and it was all because I was an asshole." Words started flooding out and the volume of the brunette's voice grew; with them too came agonizing pain and guilt. "I should have never walked out on you. I just didn't know how to handle it and your… Dog! Your condition! I… I hate myself for destroying our friendship. I hate myself to death…"

The blue woman calmly let her First Mate explain how she'd drown herself in alcohol and drugs, trying to erase the pair's history that the greying brunette felt she didn't deserve to remember. If a hologram had a heart, and in fact this one did since she was being controlled remotely by the real Chloe, it would break into a billion pieces to listen to Max's lamenting. But the scientist knew it needed to come out so the process of healing could begin. The younger woman went on for a full ten minutes, finally slumping face down on the desk and covering her head with her arms. Many moments passed while the desperate woman slowly calmed down.

Silence filled the room, even Molly didn't interrupt but just watched the two start mending their relationship. It was a concept the AI understood, yet only in technical sense; she hadn't developed the analogous behaviors that companionship fostered.

"Maxie?" Chloe ran her hand through her blue-blond hair and then placed it back where it belonged on top of her First Mate's. "I forgave you a long, long time ago. I could never stay mad at you."

The middle-aged brunette slowly looked up, wiping her mussed up hair away from her eyes. The rivers of tears stained her freckled cheeks. "How can you, when I can't do it myself?"

The pirate Captain smiled warmly. "Because I learned something and admitted it to myself years ago. Sure, I was damned pissed at you that day, and it broke my heart to see you head down the self-destructive path. But think about it and all the shit that happened. You were a fucking teenager and had your life turned upside down in so many different ways. The accident was the thing that broke you, and honestly I can't blame you for being scared."

"B… but I let you down when you needed me the most."

"Sure, but I finally realized why it was causing you pain, so I let it go and tried to find ways to help you."

"Y… y… you helped me?"

"Sure did. First thing I did was figure out a way to keep an eye on you. A friend of mine by the name of Rachel helped me out."

"Rachel? Rachel Amber? She was in school with me, one of the few girls I respected."

"Yeah, Rach was able to move around more than I could so she made a perfect accomplice. She helped keep the really bad shit from coming down on you. Like that fucked up stuff Jefferson did to that poor girl."

"Victoria? Dog, there's a name I haven't heard in years! I remember that time like it was just yesterday. I used to hang out with her, but then that monster kidnapped her. She was, well… not a friend… but still didn't care how messed up I was. Vic spent months in treatment afterwards."

"It was supposed to have been you."

Max's jaw dropped as she recollected the entire situation. "What?!"

"Rachel found proof of that after the cops went in. As a witness to the kidnapping, she was there when it all went down. She texted me the details while it happened."

"You're kidding."

"Nope, the dude was seriously fucked-up. Honestly, good riddance; I'm glad he pulled a gun on that cop. Saved us all some time. Me and Rach kept watch over you ever since, nudging you discreetly. You know, therapy, school, a job, etc. And here we are today, one I've been waiting decades to reach."

"Why did you do it, Chlo? I wasn't worth it."

"Uh uh, Max… don't you say that! You are so damn worth every day. It's pretty simple, really, I've loved you from the moment we met."

The greying woman sat silently, stunned by words she'd longed to say herself. The conflicting factions within her soul, warring between her feelings of guilt and self-loathing versus the love she kept denying, paused as if a temporary truce had been called. She closed her eyes in concentration, allowing what was happening to continue uninterrupted. On the dark, stormy battlefield of her mind, the soldiers of emotion crossed the destroyed, cratered land and met in the middle where The Prize™ remained. The combatants had fought countless years over this little patch of barren dirt, a hilltop representing a place reserved for another, yet always remained empty.

Until now…

A small, flower grew where none had been prior. Its deep azure color glowed with a power she'd only felt when the woman was young, when she had been complete, and lost just as quickly due to a forced separation in which she'd had no control.

Hope…

Compassion…

Love...

The sky brightened, golden rays breaking through the roiling black clouds, illuminating the center, and then stretching out to encompass the entire view. The captains of strife put away their guns, sheathed their swords, and shook hands before walking away. The conflict ended at last as Chloe's words filled the perfectly shaped hole in Max's heart. She opened her eyes, expecting this to all be a dream, such was how she'd felt for thirty-eight years, yet the radiant projection steadfastly remained, smiling that beautiful, cocky smirk.

"You okay there, love?"

"Chlo… it's been so long. But… I… " The brunette sighed. "… I need you so much. Will you take me back?" She blushed, allowing her caring feelings to finally surface. "You're all I've ever wanted in my entire life. Sorry it took so long."

"Dude, I'd wait a billion more years if that's what it took. We're fucking Max and Chloe across time and space. We're meant for each other. Like I said earlier, welcome home, Max. Can't wait to see you in person."

The seated woman wiped her tear-soaked eyes again. "That might take a while. We're still months away from reaching the surface. We've only just gotten the network running and…" Max paused for a second, her thoughts finally clear enough to think. She gazed deeply into Chloe's sparkling eyes, almost losing herself in their beauty. Shaking her head to maintain her focus, the woman thought about how they were getting a signal from her Captain when they could hardly communicate to the outside world. "Hang on… how is it that you just happen to have the bandwidth to run this?" She gestured to the glowing projection.

_ <I was about to ask the same question.> _

"Because…" Chloe hopped off her desktop perch, silently landing on simulated feet and strolled around the lab. Occasionally she'd run a translucent hand over a shattered piece of equipment or pause to examine a monitor. "… I know something you don't." Moving quietly to the hallway, the only way out, she stopped in front of the elevator.

"It's no good, Chlo. The shaft is busted. We have to clear the stairs."

The holographic woman place both hands on her hips and looked back at her best friend. "Is that so?"

> _Ding_ <

Machinery screeched as semi-functional motors and gears forced the dented doors open. At first, the entry parted only inches, then a couple of more in a haphazard, jerky manner until eventually the mechanism halted; they were nearly three-quarters open. In the guts of wall, a buzzer sounded, warning that an obstruction had tripped a failsafe.

Max approached while Molly followed behind; the middle-aged woman felt renewed hope that the way out had been revealed.

"How is that possible? All the monitors say it's a lost cause."

Her Captain chuckled. "Yeah, about that. I'll let her explain." The hologram pointed to the elevator's dim cabin and stepped back. Max's heart stopped beating for a moment, and she held her breath in anticipation.

A pair of feet, held firm in the rests of a wheeled chair, slowly pushed out of the lift. Legs followed, eventually revealing the occupant. The blonde, with hair pulled back into a ponytail, forced the vehicle to turn so her crippled form could see Max with her own eyes for the first time in almost forty years. She pressed a button with a practiced head tilt, and the viewer she'd been using to run her remote persona retracted.

"Going up, Maxie?"

The brunette stared at the handicapped scientist, thoughts colliding with each other, trying each to take priority. She approached the electrically operated transport and knelt beside its occupant. Looking at her partner-in-time, she asked with her eyes if it was okay to proceed and received a wink in return. Not wishing to injure Chloe with a full body hug, she hesitated as if she would get shocked, and placed her small hand underneath the woman's palm and interlaced their fingers. Max knew she couldn't feel it, so with her free hand she unstrapped Chloe's stabilized arm and brought it to the blonde's cheek, allowing her to feel the smaller woman's warmth. There they stayed, reveling in the simple touch, while silently catching up from decades of separation. A faded bond, once strong, renewed its connection as the two plumbed each other's thoughts using only a pair of perfectly matched eyes. Behind them, the avatar dissolved into whisps of blue as its purpose had been served, leaving only the AI's Rachel form leaning up against the wall observing the reunion without interruption.

Carefully, the knelling woman laid her head on her love's shoulder. "Together again..." The words were but a whisper.

"Missed you, Max."

"Missed you too, Chlo."

"You wanna get out of here?"

"Yeah."

Neither woman moved from their spot. Moments passed until Chloe slowly turned her head, nudging Max at first, then leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Come on, First Mate, we've got a lot of work to do and not much time."

The brunette grazed the unfeeling hand across her lips and gently placed it on the scientist's lap and rearranged the dangling straps that had once held it safe. After everything was in place, Max stood up and stepped aside.

Once the woman was clear, the wheelchair carefully turned back towards the lift's dim interior. "It's a bumpy ride. You all made quite a mess of this place, ya know?" Chloe glanced at Molly. "Start shutdown beta and transfer to main processing upstairs. We'll have to use Lab Two until we get this squared away."

_ <On it. Nice seeing you out and about, Doctor Price.> _

Molly too, faded away as the projector switched off. Beyond the corridor, the telltale slap of electrical breakers could be heard as she got to work systematically disabling the high-energy gear, computers, experiments, and finally the lighting. The vast chamber grew dark as the pair entered the elevator and the doors closed.

* * *

**September 7th, 2051 (Z + 43)  
** **Top side  
** **Redmond, Washington**

"…So yeah," the scientist explained, "when I first met the girl, she was totally freaked out."

Max sat in the comfortable office listening to her friend. It didn't mind to the smaller woman that the subject was about Des, or that the scientist had immediately jumped into debriefing. It's one of the qualities she loved about her Captain… well, if she were honest with herself, Max couldn't think of a single thing she didn't like. The younger lady simply enjoyed listening to the blonde no matter what the topic, and she'd hang on her every word.

The scientist took a breath and looked at her companion. "You still with me, Maxi?"

"Always, though I do have a question…" A small hand raised in the air as if she were a student and a thoughtful, yet slightly confused look crossed her face.

"Dude, you don't have to raise your hand…"

"No, I know… just you got into a groove with your 'lecture mode.' I think that's the longest I've spent listening to a presentation since the mandatory workplace conduct training years back."

"Oh!! I remember those. Fuck, those were boring!"

"Uh huh, and it turns out you were the boss that made me go through that. Though, I could listen to you all year and never get bored." Max sighed and placed her elbow on the couch's armrest, propping up her head as she took in her still gorgeous friend. She could do this forever…

The two remained silent as they stared across the small gap between the wheelchair and the seating which the brunette occupied. A content smile formed on the scientist's face, full of caring and love for her old friend.

"So, what's your question?"

"Why do you remember all of this? I thought you were in a kind of limbo or stasis situation. Chloe, the one with the red hair, mentioned that. Not that I'm complaining, it's just unexpected."

 _< Max is right, Doctor Price. This is not the predicted outcome.>_ Molly had shed the Rachel persona and was back to her standard self. Without a holo-projector, it hadn't made sense to continue using it.

Chloe smiled more warmly. She'd been pondering the turn of events for a number of days since Rachel and her had come to their senses. From what they'd been able to learn, the two had become effectively tethered to a point in time as the ripples caused by the young teen's inadvertent glitch. The natural processes that would dampen the shockwaves of two timestreams colliding, that had been the running theory that night as Des slept, the scientist predicted to go on for the next twenty-five years. Obviously that hadn't happened, which meant there was a new variable in play.

Max watched on as the blonde nudged a control with the side of her head. The younger woman thought it amazing how much dexterity her friend had, and how she used it to accomplish everyday tasks. Thinking back, Chloe's terrible accident and resulting disability had been a major contributor to the brunette's self-destructive attitude; she'd simply not known how to cope with what it had done to her life-long companion. She vowed never to let it get in the way again.

A couple of seconds later the far wall lit up with graphs and fast-scrolling numbers, a replay of the past six months in high speed. A timeline at the bottom swept to the right towards the present date. Chloe issued another command which slowed the indicator as it approached the days leading up to the event which had temporarily connected three time streams to another. She zoomed in on what was now seen to be a diagram of the building they currently occupied. With deft nods, the scientist homed in on the atrium. A small glowing blue marker, an icon of a stopwatch ⏱, hovered near the diagram of the main seating area where it had not been before. Off to the side, a similar one bathed in red ⏱ stood next to another 📝. Circular patterns of blue, radiating from the solitary indicator, pulsed with energy as the sensors throughout the room measured field strength, gravity, and universal constants, recording the findings for later analysis.

Chloe adjusted the zoom and the room fell away until the projected overhead view showed the entire city. Her home 🏠 appeared, yet was obscured by a dense tangle of fine, thin, chaotic lines so tightly compacted and moving at such an incredible rate as if to appear as a dark grey bubble of fog that occupied the entire plot of land. When she continued the playback at normal speeds, vectors appeared offering predictions as to where the waves of azure would go. Like an unstoppable tide, the aura rushed toward the entire house and crashed into the barrier created by the conflicting time streams that were centered over the single-story dwelling. In moments, the sea of blue inundated the anomaly, filling the cracks, and sealing its breach. As the clock on the room's wall continued it ceaseless path around its circumference, the energy that had erupted from this building dissipated, leaving the world unscarred as far as the instruments could measure. Chloe paused the replay.

Max wondered at the event she'd just witnessed, leaned back and put her hands calmly in her lap in a similar manner her friend Kate had done when she was contemplative. Seeing the time and date stamp on the screen, the brunette knew the source of the amazing energy that had healed her love's home, and with it released the wheelchair-bound woman and Rachel from their prison. Even if she weren't a scientist or an engineer, Max was anything but stupid; she simply had different talents, a newly found ability being the cause… It put a sparkle in her clear blue eyes. _"I did this!"_

Chloe shook her head, trying to understand the physics behind the readings. A billion thoughts whirled through the amazing intelligence behind her crystalline eyes, each in a different path arriving at the same result. It took mere seconds even though the woman bore the collective knowledge of eight centuries worth of accumulated knowledge. In an instant she recalled countless lifetimes as if they were yesterday though some had not yet occurred; such is the side-effects of monkeying with the fundamental aspects of time. She'd shook her head at the still-new sensation, trying to concentrate on solving the riddle shown on the replay, yet always coming up with the same conclusion. " _Max did this!_ "

"You saved us."

"I guess I did, Chlo. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose… there's no user's manual for controlling time. I just had to save you… er… I mean the other You."

Chloe chuckled lightly. "Heh heh. You have such a big heart, Max. It's one of your best features besides… mmmm, lemme see… your eyes… your starfield of gorgeous freckles… your… ohhhhhhh… the body… uuuuuuuhhhhh." The excited woman's voice trailed off until slight moaning could be heard.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price!"

"Hee hee… Maxie-Max. A girl has to have her fantasies."

Max turned all known shades of red and maybe a few completely new ones; completely flustered.

"You are a total…" the brunette threw her hands into the air mockingly, "… a word hasn't been invented to describe what you are. But you're a total… total one, Dork!"

Chloe eyed her partner and smirked. "Yeah, but I'm your Dork, babe."

Max sighed. "That you are. What am I going to do with you?"

"Keep me?"

"Forever."

"Awww, Max… soooooo goopy."

The middle-aged brunette's eyes widened. "Shuddap… uhm… yeah, I guess I am… for you."

_< Can we continue this later? Jeez, ladies. You all need to get a room. There's pressing matters that need to be discussed.>_

With a sigh, the blonde scientist blinked and shook her head to get back on track. It was just so difficult to concentrate when Max was around. "You're right, we do. All this is great," she indicated the frozen scene projected on the wall, "but there's gonna be consequences. Is that what you're saying?"

 _< Correct. After all, you are already experiencing one, aren't you?>_  
A concerned look crossed Max's face. "What does she mean, Chlo?"

"Nothing to worry about, Maxi."

"Chloe, I know you. What are you hiding?"

"Okay, look. It doesn't seem to be a big deal. Over the past month or so I've been having a bunch of thoughts pop into my head. I noticed it about 6 weeks ago."

"What do you mean… 'thoughts'? And wouldn't that coincide with me saving Chloe, just like what we just watched?"

"Yeah, the timing is correct. Lemme explain. The thoughts are like, listening to myself or, really, seeing myself do things I've never done before. Kinda like a bunch of parallel versions of myself stuffed into my head. It's as if I've actually lived the other Chloe's lives, the ones that have contributed to The Plan™. If I focus, I can have conversations with them. But that's not the weird part…"

"There's worse?" Max's consternation grew. "Did I do this to you?"

Chloe shook her head. "I don't think so, Maximus. You see, I've always been good at predicting outcomes and this seems to be an extension, or evolution of that ability." She shrugged before continuing. "Just got a badass brain, I guess. Anyway, some of these other lives, based on what I see, haven't even happened yet, or at least not in my personal timeline."

"Sooooo… you can see the future?"

"No, no, it's not like that. It's as if there's some connection between timelines and other versions of myself. I think it has to do with being stuck in the time wound, cause Rachel was there too and she has similar experiences. Though, if I think about it, she's told me she only sees one other."

"Is it, you know… dangerous?"

 _< I can answer that question, Max, which is no. It does not seem to have any detrimental impact on Chloe's health. There's rather as increased level of brain activity, but besides probably needing more food rather than less, everything should be fine.>_ The AI paused for a moment before addressing the scientist directly. _< Are you going to tell her the rest?>_

"There's more?"

The electric wheelchair hummed as it moved closer to the seated brunette, who adjusted her leg's position to make room for the blonde to drive right up to the edge of the couch.

"Can you unstrap my arm, please." Chloe indicated the arm closest to her friend and Max did as she was asked; the younger woman neatly arranging the bindings so they wouldn't get snared in the wheels. The blonde looked at her companion's hand, then her own, and finally into the freckled face. "Watch."

Max looked on as her Captain's eyebrows dipped, concentrating on something. Blue eyes glanced downward and the brunette's followed, focusing on the arm she'd released. The younger girl raised her eyes up and noticed a bead of sweat just along the blonde's hairline. Through grated teeth, her friend continued to exert herself. "Keep looking." Max looked down at the pale hand that rested heavily on the armrest.

For the briefest moment, Chloe's slender index finger twitched and Max's eyes went wide. She could hear the labored breath of her partner pushing herself to the fullest. Max leaned in closer.

The finger raised up off the padded surface and remained in the air, lightly quivering from muscles that had not been used since that near-fatal accident. A second followed, then a third, until the heal of the woman's palm was the only part remaining. The woman scrunched her face with effort and forced her palm and forearm up at an angle until it touched the freckled cheek of the woman she loved.

Max raised her own and held Chloe's trembling hand against her face. Occasionally a finger would jerk involuntarily, which tickled and made the younger woman smile warmly.

"How is this possible?"

"I dunno, Maxi. I noticed a weird sensation about the same time as the shit going on inside my head started. I'm not a neurology expert, but I did some research. The only thing I can come up with is that the pathways that were severed in the wreck have somehow been bypassed. It's like one of the Chloes in my head is in some way partially manifested in this physical world enough that her nervous system overlaps my own.

"What a whatta?" The brunette kept ahold of the thin hand and gently placed it back on its armrest, not without kissing each knuckle first.

"It's only a theory, but it's like having two identical wires running in parallel. Break one and its current stops, right? That's what my severed motor-control nerves are like. With me so far?"

Max nodded.

"So… if the other wire is sufficiently close, but still not touching, a current change through the unbroken wire will cause a similar current to flow through the two segments of the broken circuit. The resulting electrical flow will be really tiny in comparison to the signal source, but it seems to fit all the facts."

The brunette's eyes were wide as she realized that Chloe was describing nothing more than something of a merger between herself and a duplicate from another timestream. "So you're saying that you've somehow been…," she fought for the correct wording, "… overlayed with another you?"

"Exactly, First Mate. Well, at least that's what I think is going on. It could be weirder still, but we've both seen a lot of strange things recently."  
"That's for damn sure. Do you think it will last? Improve?" Max paused for a moment and shook her head. She'd turned pale during the conversation.  
"Have no fucking clue, babe. I tried to get my legs to do the same thing, but nothing happened. Maybe time will tell."

Max rubbed the back of her neck and leaned back, blinking a number of times to clear her head. "Chlo, I feel weird. There's this pulsing in my head."

"You said you've activated your own time abilities, right? Is it painful?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. Just awfully strange… it's making me dizzy. And yeah, I can rewind time."

_< Excuse me, Doctor Price, but speaking of time, we seem to be receiving an unexpected signal from Stream Alpha.>_

"Hmmm. I wonder if your powers are attuned to every other one of you that has the same." The blonde guided her chair to the nearest terminal and slowly slid her hand forward to tap a key, activating the screen.

Max followed, a little woozy and still holding her head, yet by the time she reached the station it had cleared up significantly. Like a light switch turning off the power, her mind cleared as if nothing had happened.

"And just like that, it's gone, Chlo."

"Message probably ended. You being able to sense this might come in handy." She tapped another key which produced pages of data on the screen, decoded from the information they'd just received. The scientist, with her companion glancing over her shoulder, read the message. Occasionally her finger tapped the down arrow to advance to the next page until she got to the end.

"Well, that settles it. Molly, what're your thoughts?"

_< Their observations are within predictable ranges. You told me back when I first powered on that we were in uncharted waters. Looks like we have to adjust The Plan™.>_

Chloe looked to the ceiling of the meeting room and rolled her eyes expecting the AI's sarcastic humor to come back at her. She waited patiently, but Molly didn't quip.

"Uh… don't you have anything else to say?" The scientist flipped off the terminal's switch and turned back towards the seating area, pausing to see if the computer had more to add.

"What do you expect her to say, Chlo?" Max stood next to the electric wheelchair with her hand lightly on top of her partner's hand.

The blonde shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me… kinda the first time this has happened. I expected fireworks, or jokes, or… you know… anything to make the point known…"

Molly took that time to pipe up. The sarcasm was dripping from her electronic voice. _< And what, dear Doctor Price, is the point I need to make, hmmm?>_

"You're an ass, Mol." Chloe grinned, knowing that the computer didn't mean any harm; it was just how the game was played.

 _< Very true. See? You can still get something… right… occasionally.>_ The telltale buzzing from the room's speakers told the women that the AI was laughing hysterically.

Max gently squeezed her Captain's hand and started to defend the blonde. "Molly, that's not very nice."

"No… it's fine, First Mate. I know she doesn't mean it. Plus, being wrong… ' _occasionally_ '… helps me stay balanced. The fact that The Plan™ has a flaw in it isn't really an issue."

"What do you mean, flaw? What I saw when the red-headed version of you left seemed to me like everything worked fine. I mean, it was scary as shit, but they made it." Max reached over, pulled a chair out and sat down next to her partner.

"You're right, the tech worked, which means a lot of the theories we're built up over the course of this voyage pan out correctly. The main problem as I see it is one of scale."

Max thought about this for a bit, recalling the events that resulted in the other Chloe's transference to a completely different time stream. "So… it took a lot of energy, and it ruined the lab to do so…"

The scientist nodded seeing the brunette put the pieces together. "Uh huh. And from what I understand, you almost lost the reference frame which would have been… bad… like _Bad Fucking Things™_ bad. So, you see, while we can jump streams, it simply isn't practical if we want to pull us all back together by the millions."

"So what do we do?"

The blonde woman squeezed Max's hand back and smirked. "What we always used to do, Maxi. You remember us playing pirates all those years ago and how we always used to come out the victors in whatever adventure our young minds came up with?"

Max rounded her gaze on the still beautiful woman and grinned. "Chlo… you haven't _stopped_ playing pirates yet. What do you have in mind?"

"You know me so well." The handicapped woman slowly brought Max's hand to her lips; she was getting better at moving this arm if the lack of trembling was an indicator. "We change the rules, of course, and this message shows us the way."

Max looked at the monitor that still showed the decoded text. "It says something about merging. I'm not sure I understand that."

_< None of us do. However, Max, based on current observations by Doctor Price, I'd say she already has some ideas considering the side-effects of the time-wound.>_

The Captain looked proudly at her First Mate. "Exactly! We just need to learn how to do it on purpose. You know what that means, Maxi?"

The brunette loved seeing the excitement on her love's face. "Uhm… more work for us?"

"A fuck-ton more, babe! We have to crack the books open again, go back to school, and learn more…" She paused for effect while her partner figured it out herself. She waited while Max's expression switched from love and adoration of her Captain, through the neutral calm of thought as she attempted to understand the new course they were planning, and then finally settled on shock. Wide blue eyes gazed back at the scientist and her mouth opened in a silent ' _No!_ '

"Yup. A hella lot of…"

Max found her voice at last. "Please don't say it."

"I can't help it, Spider-Max."

The brunette's head shook as she disagreed with Chloe's last statement. "You can if you wanted to. Please for the love of everything, don't say it."

"Pleeeeaaasse!"

"Oh my dog, Chloe." Then with a sigh the shorter woman gave up. "Fiiiiiine."

The scientist grinned from ear to ear and kissed the hand she still held. She knew the two of them were going to rededicate themselves to The Plan™ and would eventually get where they needed to be. But right now, a new course had to be plotted and new skills needed to be learned…

It all started with…

" _Fucking Math™!_ "

Max brought the blonde's hand to her own lips, brushing it lightly before rolling her eyes at the woman.

"You're a dork."

"Sure am."

"How long is it gonna take?"

"I donno. Maybe twenty-five years."

"That's a long time, but okay. I'm in. We can do this."

"Together."


	22. Searching the High Seas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hanging in with me over the past few months. I'd like to shout-out my friends Clarx, Santa Cruz, Aspect, BlackAdder, Whack, LazyLazer, Anne, Rach, Dan, the other Dan, WTM, Olya-roo, Priceless, Gami, and a number of other folks and authors for continuing to encourage me. Some of what you'll read here and the next few chapters are inspired by these awesomesaucepants people. I literally can not do it without you all.
> 
> Here we go, enjoy!

**September 27th, 2076 (Z + 68)  
** **Chloe's Lab  
** **Seattle**

"I thought this was supposed to be instantaneous."

I turned my gaze to the video window that had Rachel's face. She was working in another section of the lab, a couple floors down to handhold the power systems. The woman had a crease on her forehead as she concentrated on her work, but I could see in my old friend's eyes something was worrying her.

"That's what was supposed to happen. At least, the math says it should. The moment we sent Des off on her mission to save them, in our perspective, we should have found ourselves at the final stream. The gathering place. But, like everything else that's happened over the past year, there's no real way to predict any of this shit; up to this point, it's all only been theory." I tapped a couple of keys on my workstation, anticipating the next question.

"So… is it working? The power is spiking all over the place."

"Yeah. I can see data coming from a shitload of streams, too. Every indication is that she's doing exactly what we planned."

"Then what?"

"I don't know… something is blocking us. I'll ask Max when she gets back. For now, just keep the generators running?" There would be more to do after the transfer, but we both had to concentrate on our assigned tasks first.

"Will do, Chloe. I'll take care of it." I watched as Rach wiped some sweat from her face. We needed to keep the power feeding to the conduit between us and Des.

If it fails… we lose. Simple as that.

* * *

**September 27th, 2076 (Z + 68)  
** **Suburbs of Seattle**

It had been weeks since Des arrived in this time stream; something was keeping her here. Try as she might, the ability to jump around time and space had come upon some sort of barrier or blockage, and any attempt only led to major headaches.

_God damned serious fucking headaches!_

The young woman shrugged at the memory of the debilitating pain when she arrived in the time stream. Panic set in at first. The thought of losing her ability, leaving her stranded, was something she never considered, and it forced her to come up with new strategies for future travels. After a day and night on a park bench just trying to keep her head from exploding, the pain eased away and allowed her more clarity to think about her options and situation. Des concluded that she hadn't really lost her powers and that things in other streams were proceeding; memories and experiences in those other places continued to pop into her mind as the mastermind-Chloe told her they would. Sure, it felt like a million different versions of herself, but the protective mechanisms the scientist had put in place worked flawlessly.

After feeling better, the teen resolved to get a room at an extended stay hotel. She had plenty of money, that was a huge benefit of working with the wheelchair-bound version of her Mom. They'd devised a way that no matter where she ended up, the digital currency and infiltration algorithm on her phone, which happened to be crammed to the brim with as much of Molly's AI as the older Chloe could manage, would give her plenty of funds on the off chance the girl got stuck for a longer than expected time. Even if cell service didn't work, all she needed was an internet connection, which she found at the Starbucks directly across from the park where she'd stayed. A couple of hours later, she had herself a room in a hotel located in a place she recognized from a different time stream as downtown Renton, Washington.

 _Max and Chloe must be near here._ The teen's expectations had been set by thousands of timestreams; every time, her arrival location was close to her parents.

After an absurdly hot shower and wrapped in a bathrobe provided by the property, Des plopped down on the bed and pulled her pack next to her, rummaging through it looking for her charge cord. She'd dug through a number of trinkets collected during her travels, just as she knew the copies of herself spread about the multiverse were doing as well. She took out a small bear and set it aside, one named Sven, if her memory was correct, and found a stripey sock stuck to its fuzzy back due to static. It made her giggle to herself since both the bear and the sock belonged to the same person—another one of the people she'd gone back to save and whom had been missing both items.

Finally, after nearly emptying the contents, the teen pulled out an amazingly tangled mess that was the USB cable. She rolled her eyes as she futilely picked at the knotted wire; finally saying ' _fuck it_ ' to herself and plugging the ends into the charger and her device. Placing everything back in its place, Des thought again, and extracted a notebook and pen from the pack's interior pocket. Then she leaned back against the headboard, flipped through several pages to get to a blank spot, and wrote down the relevant points of the previous stream's events while her phone charged.

#6200  
Skateboard park: Arcadia Bay  
Chloe awesome skater, Max taking pics; kept mentioning publishing in some sports magazines.  
Storm came up suddenly, just like Mom and Mom described; got them out of there just in time.  
Note: Another girl, brunette, about Max's size, also good skater, left at park alone. Max asked to take pics of her too. She had an accent; European? Tried to go back but only found her board. The place was in ruins; gotta try again.

Des tapped the pen against her chin as she recalled how intense the storm was; almost like a huge finger scraping the surface of the town clean and leaving only broken rubble in its wake.

_Finger of God? Who the fuck knows??_

She couldn't remember any other time stream where she'd come face-to-face with _The Storm™_. All she knew was that she had her purpose, and if she could pull it off, no one would die on her watch.

_Not.Gonna.Happen._

Eventually, as she couldn't think of anything else to add, the young woman placed the notes into the backpack and closed her eyes.

The teen fell asleep almost immediately; apparently sleeping on a bench wasn't a restful way to catch Z's. Her dreams were filled with countless images of Max and Chloe, each one brought to the gathering place at the lighthouse. Eventually, and with a light sigh, Destiny's body and mind relaxed and timelessness gripped her and allowed her to sleep uninterrupted throughout the remainder of the day and all night.

Seventeen days later, she still was no closer to finding her parents. The girl thought, as she walked up the sidewalk, she had looked everywhere; obviously not since it was always the last place one needs to look to find something that's been lost. Having scoured the internet looking for signs of their whereabouts, she also covered every local venue or business in which either of the two had ever, in her experience, been known to frequent. In the thousands of time streams visited, she'd found one or both women sometimes in near identical situations even when the environment was very different, so it was more efficient to check for commonalities. Hell, only a couple of jumps back her parents both had been part of the Seattle Police Department in consecutive streams--only Chloe's job changed, from patrol to internal affairs. Max on the other hand had consistently been part of the forensics unit. So, Des checked the places she'd seen them in the past:

Restaurants…  
Art galleries…  
Retail stores…  
Auto repair shops…  
Libraries…  
The Lake Union shipyard…  
All the local community and state-run universities…  
City and other local police departments…  
Hospitals…  
And of course, the county morgue.

The last one made the teen shiver at the recollection of a **_specific_** stream. Des had found Max alright, and she never wanted to go through something like that ever again. She'd pieced together what happened to land her mother on a cold slab and saved her life in the end, but goddamn it was painful. Luckily, it was only once, about three thousand streams back, when the lanky teen had vowed to save anyone she could. The girl didn't know if it was the correct decision, but as her other Mom sometimes said… _Fuck it!_

A gravelly voice from her side snapped her back to reality.

"You have some spare change, young lady?" A shabby looking, middle aged man laid in the narrow path between two brick buildings looking very worse for wear. The teen looked at her surroundings and realized she had walked all the way out of the valley and into the eastern-most outskirts of the city, a place she'd never been in all her previous adventures. She was in an unfamiliar area and the hint of alarm bells started ringing in her mind.

"Uh no," she lied, "I only carry a credit card." The fact that she always had a little cash on hand for emergency needs was unimportant. Usually, the girl avoided these kinds of situations by being aware of where she was, but this time her mind had wandered…

Another man, much younger, came around the corner. Dressed in dirty jeans and a flannel shirt that had seen much better days; the dude looked like trouble. His pock-marked face and obvious scars from needles on his arms told Des his true motivations. "I bet this pretty one has plenty of cash. Why don't you make it easy on yourself and just hand over everything you got." He pointed. "Especially the backpack." The man, with unkempt, greasy black hair looked over at the older one that had stood up and was now leaning against the building's wall; he was obviously more able than his original posture suggested. "Whatta you think? Should we keep her too?"

The deep rumbling voice responded. "Maybe. Depends on how… nice… she is."

One man on her left and another on her right, Des was surrounded with no obvious exit except stepping into traffic; vehicles of which the occupants paid her no attention.

 _God fucking damn it_ , she quietly chided herself, _you know better than this!_

She angled herself so her peripheral vision captured both of them and pulled the straps on her backpack tighter, making sure it would be secure. Raising her hands with her fingers up and palms out to show she was unarmed, she stepped back into the grassy median that separated the sidewalk from the curbside. Placing her left foot slightly in front of her while anchoring the right behind, the teen centered her body mass, took some calming breaths, then tried to reason with them. "I don't want any trouble."

"Looks like you're too late for that, girlie. Hand it over." The grungy thug stepped forward, closing the distance by half, and pulled a butterfly knife out of his back pocket. He made a show of opening it with a flick of his wrist, clearly trying to intimidate the young woman. He held the knife straight out, gripping it tightly in his fisted hand, ready to thrust forward. His bare arms telegraphed tension as scarred veins bulged along its length.

Des swiped her bangs out of her face and rolled her eyes. _Oh goodie, the ass-wipe has a knife._ Stepping to the left slightly, she reminded herself that the weapon was only dangerous if it contacted. The girl took another half-step, and her opponent followed but still maintained his distance. It had been a calculated move which had the desired effect. The closer man was now directly in front of the older one; she'd effectively reduced her immediate threats by 50% without expending any effort and increased the directions she could go in the process.

"Come on, gimme the bag, or I'm gonna cut you and take it anyway." Chuck stepped closer again and pulled back the hand that gripped the knife while simultaneously reaching for Destiny's shoulder.

Maintaining her distance, Des continued stepping lightly backwards and managed to get onto the sidewalk. The corner of the brick building she now stood aside blocked the middle-aged man's view while the closer threat continued to follow. She could see the dude's muscles bunch up with stress but kept her wits. _I can do this all day._ She backed up again to where a large window looked into the business inside the structure, and she quickly glanced to the left to see if anyone was watching, and then focused back on the man in front of her. While it might only be a receptionist inside, they might take note of her situation and call the police, which would be appreciated.

"Don't make me chase you, bitch!"

Her assailant was growing agitated, and the teen expected him to make his threats real any second… except…

 _Wait a goddam minute!_ She thought; something inside the office had clicked in her mind as she recognized some of the contents. She took her eyes off her opponent and surveyed it once again. This was no typical small business with desks, partitions, file cabinets, copiers, and the like. Instead, the single room she could see was completely open; its floor made of bare, light colored wooden planks, like you'd see in a gymnasium, but without any of the exercise equipment. A pair of heavy bags hung from the open beam ceiling and occupied one corner, while a dozen or so folding chairs were positioned to the side nearest the entrance. Racks of hand weapons, batons and longer poles mostly, were attached to the walls neatly next to practice targets. A shelf on the far wall contained rows of plaques and trophies and a display of medals and ribbons. The dojo, however, wasn't what occupied her thoughts, but the people inside, two of which all had with their backs facing away from the outside view, while the other stood to their side with a camera. That's what caught her eye, and it was almost fatal because it was then that _'Chuck'_ had finally lost his remaining patience.

It all happened very quickly, though to the teen everything seemed to happen in slow motion which had nothing to do with time travel. A glint of reflected sunlight off the shiny edge of the weapon, as seen from the corner of her eye, snapped her thoughts away from a freckled brunette that was holding a camera. Training took over as the thug's arm thrust forward directly for her chest between her upraised hands, exactly as the girl had expected.

Des held her ground instead of retreating and twisted clockwise and to the right just bare moments before contact, angling her body outside of the knife's path. The man's arm now over-extended, continued along her body until his elbow brushed her ribs. Automatically, the teen brought the sharp edge of her forearm to intersect with the soft tissue just behind his joint while simultaneously dropping her right hand then looping it around the man's wrist, immobilizing the knife. She had a choice to make at this moment, life or death, and realized this fucker wasn't really a threat anymore so continued to pivot while applying pressure to the man's arm.

Chuck's entire body followed the circular motion which accelerated him by physics he'd never understand. His feet left the ground as the speed increase until his forehead met the glass window which shattered.

_Okay, good, safety glass._

The man's entire body hurtled through the opening, ending up on the floor and startling its occupants.

>click<

Apparently the photographer was about ready to snap a pic and had turned towards the commotion. The image would be another little memento for Des to keep, recording her adventures. The teen stepped over the broken window frame, entered the business, moved over to the now unconscious mugger, and lightly kicked the knife away. Then she turned to see the occupants watching her every move. Removing her backpack and setting it by her feet, Des came to attention and, with a straight back, bowed at the waist performing a traditional greeting.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Sensei. _(Good morning, Sensei)_ " She waited, still bowed, for the expected response.

The tall, dark-skinned man standing next to Chloe brushed the wrinkles of his white gi jacket away and adjusted the worn black belt at his waist, a sign of respect. It wasn't proper to welcome a student into the studio all rumpled. Coming to attention himself, he bowed and spoke.

"Osu, Senpai. _(Shortened acknowledgement, Senpai)_ "

After waiting for the instructor to finish first, she raised her eyes and relaxed. The man's face filled with a toothy smile that contrasted significantly with his dark completion. He quickly surveyed the dojo with his eyes and then tipped his head at Chloe who, without a word excused herself and disappeared into a back room. He gestured to the thug laying in the mess of tiny glass crystals that covered the floor and then looked Des straight in the eyes. His voice was friendly, not at all concerned about the current situation, as if this kind of thing happened all the time.

"I expect you have quite a tale to tell."

"Yeah, uh… you might say that."

Chloe returned silently with a broom and dustpan, handing it to the newcomer.

The man's eyes twinkled. "Why don't you tell us all about it while you clean up."

The girl closed her eyes for a second and battled to keep her typical teen response regarding chores and work at bay. Taking a breath and then letting it out in an exaggerated sigh, she looked again as the blue-haired student held out the tools that would be her labor. "I thought you might say that." She took off her pack and set it aside and spent the next several hours meticulously cleaning the workout room without complaint.

* * *

The paramedics and police had come and gone, pushing a still groggy _Chuck_ away on a gurney and under arrest. It hadn't been the trip through the windowpane that had caused the bulk of his injuries, though cuts along his scalp had make it look very much worse than it was. No, the ribs, arm, and shoulder, immobilized by the EMTs, were the consequences of his foolhardy attempt to grab the closest person in the room when he regained consciousness.

The thug had stood up while the three of them were still taking stock of the damages and when Des started collecting all the bits of broken glass from the smooth, wooden floor of the practice area. He grabbed Chloe around the neck from behind.

_Bad move, really fucking bad._

Like a snake striking, the bluenette stepped backwards, into her opponent, and driven her pointed elbow deep into the man's ribcage, making him double over with an explosive grunt as the air was hammered out of him. It broke two ribs from what the female medic dictated into her radio. But Senpai Price-Caulfield hadn't finished. The momentum of her move allowed her to overextend his arm which she grabbed and twisted over her shoulder. Chuck's elbow, now pointing downward, became the fulcrum of a lever as the tall woman stood straight up while simultaneously pulling down near the dude's wrist. Her positioning correct, all the power of Chloe's legs transferred to the man's joint, causing it to invert over her shoulder and ultimately pull the arm completely of its socket. If the window hadn't already been broken, the sickly sound of the bone cracking might have done the job anyway. Or maybe it was Chuck's screams.

Later, with the arrival of the police and an ambulance, a semi-comatose Chuck even tried to press charges; he claimed he'd been lured inside. Neither Max's photograph, the studio's video used to record practice sessions, nor the conveniently placed traffic cam agreed with his allegation. The female officer asked everyone for a statement, gave each a business card, and followed the paramedics out the door.

Now, with the dojo cleaned up, a call to the other instructors, and a quick run to Home Depot for plywood and nails to cover the newly ventilated opening, Chloe and Sensei Andrew continued their training while Des sat beside Max.

"So, tell me again?"

Destiny took her eyes away from watching the lithe bluenette perform kata alongside her instructor to respond to her other mom. "You're my mother, just as Chloe," the teen pointed to the taller woman dressed in a white gi and brown belt at her waist, "is my biological mother too. Don't ask me how… I have no damn clue, but you guys always said it was because of your perfect love for each other." Talking about how she was conceived almost always triggered Des's gag reflex. An offspring never **ever** wanted to know the intimate details of what her parents did to… _dear God_ … make… another living human being. It was, like a rule or something. _Kill me now._

Max smiled as she saw the teen's uncomfortable expression. "You know, me and Chloe have talked about having children. I mean, no, not right now, that is, but eventually. We've discussed adopting a little girl after we get fully settled. Chloe would totally rock as a mom." She waited for the girl to continue.

"Yeah, she is… uhm… pretty cool. Anyway, like I said, none of these time streams are supposed to exist, and if we don't fix it, ' _Bad Fucking Things™_ ' will happen. There's a plan to bring you all back together, and I'm doing all the leg work that's gonna make it happen."

The brunette could tell the young woman was serious. "But… time travel? Really? It's just so," Max looked for the right word, "incredible."

The teen woman shrugged. "I guess I'm used to it; it's been a part of my life since I was a kid."

"How do you do it? What's it like?"

"Honestly, it's really hard to describe the way it feels or how I do it. Used to be I had to create a portal and concentrate, which would freak you both out, especially when I was really young; there were a lot of accidents. Now, though, I just think about a place and time, and there I am. Except lately, that is; can't do shit at the moment. It's all gone, and I don't know the fuck why."

"Maybe you're just tired. How many times have you done this already?"

"Just over sixty-two hundred."

The brunette thought about this fact for a couple of seconds. "And each time, how long were you there?"

"Well, you see, it varies. Sometimes it’s a couple of days, others it's hours. There was this one time where I think I had thirty minutes; shit was going down the moment I arrived. Luckily, you two, or… you know… Max and Chloe in that time stream, were both right there seated just two rows in front of me. We were on a bus heading for Seattle. The weird part was no one seems to notice how the stream was breaking apart all around them except you two."

"Sounds awful. What did you do?"

Des shuddered visibly at the recollection and shook her head. "Not much choice. I moved to the seat behind them, grabbed their shoulders and left. Had a fuck-ton of explaining to do when we arrived at the lighthouse."

"Wowser." Max wrapped her arms reflexively around the younger woman, giving her some comfort. "It really sounds like you're simply tired. Constant stress like that causes all sorts of problems. Maybe you need a rest and this is the way your body is telling you its limit has been reached. Maybe you need to recharge."

"Fuck, change my battery pack, please." The red-streaked girl joked. "If it were that easy, I guess I wouldn't be having problems. The worst part though, and something I'm really worried about, is that right now I can't tell how long this stream has until it dissolves."

"That's still going to happen?"

"It's supposed to." Des looked away from her Mom, avoiding eye contact. Even considering all her travels, the teen couldn't predict how her Moms would take the news that their universe was breaking apart. Sometimes it was met with fear, other times, anger. This stream seems to have some sort of neutral vibe going on. Still, it made her self-conscious being the one to give the bad news; one of the worst parts of the job.

A comfortable silence fell between the two as they turned towards the rest of the studio and watched Chloe and the Sensei move through another form in parallel with each other. This one was slow and methodical, positioning body, hands, and feet with millimeter precision. Des didn't recognize it, which wasn't a surprise; every dojo was a combination of different experiences that made the arts personal and customized to each instructor. While the current kata being performed seemed to be based on karate, the sweeping and flowing transitions was more kung fu-like. Having not been in a dojo for years, Des didn't consider herself an expert by any means. However, the grace and precision with which Chloe moved through the form made the teenager reconsider continuing her own training.

Eventually, the performing pair of martial artists completed the sequence, bowing to the front of the room, and then to each other. Class was over and the sweaty blue-haired woman went to retrieve her bag from the corner, pulled out a small hand towel, and wiped the perspiration from her face and head. She sat down next to the other women, surrounding the teenager between herself and Max.

"Sup, bitches." Chloe took another sip out of her bottle. "Whew, nice session. You get the pictures you needed, Maxie?"

"Uh huh. It's gonna look great on the studio's website."

The photographer was hired to update and illustrate the business's online presence. Images of students, either working out, sparring, or performing kata had been her idea to give prospective customers a look inside a real dojo. She was putting her combined business and arts degrees to the test with the hopes that it would jumpstart her own small business advertising agency; that was the plan anyway. It was a risky venture with only minimal income to start, but whenever she used her wife as the focus of the images, her worries kinda melted away.

It also didn't hurt that Chloe was a silent partner with the two instructors that owned the studio, due to a small inheritance she'd gotten from Joyce's death. Having perished in the freak storm that leveled Arcadia Bay, her mom left the girl a small life insurance policy which was supplemented when David sold their destroyed house's land and split the proceeds. After the two retreated to Seattle, her blue-haired beauty fell into serious depression that took a year from which to break out. The two had stayed with Max's own parents who supported them without question, making the healing process so much easier than it could have been. Together they'd worked through their grief until one day, while walking hand-in-hand down the street, they'd come upon a small business on the brink of opening, the dojo. It was the first time Max saw the woman she loved return, her blue eyes literally glowing with a renewed spirit as Chloe surprised her saying she wanted not only to learn, but to invest in the company. That had been almost five years ago, and the small income it produced helped the brunette get her education squared away while at the same time providing Chloe with goals to focus upon. The disciplined training gave her the sense of accomplishment and acted as an outlet for all the anger and loss she'd experienced during Max's exile in Seattle. Over time, the blue-haired martial artist decided that she enjoyed the challenge and even started teaching the younger students, which always made Max smile; Chloe was so good with the kids and the young students loved her to bits.

"Awesomesaucepants!"

Max giggled a bit at Chloe's continued use of terms from their childhood and how she evolved them over time. "You gonna change first, before we go?"

"Yeah, I probably should hit the shower first. Do you mind? We're still gonna grab noms, yeah?"

Both Max and Des shook their heads. "Nah, Chlo, go ahead, we'll wait. The two of us can decide where we want to go for lunch."

"Bitchin. Alright, love, back in a flash." The taller girl stood up, leaned past the teen, and gave her wife a quick kiss. Then, grabbing her bag, she disappeared into the back area where the small changing room and shower was located.

"So, Des, you want lunch? It's on us."

"I could eat. Matter of fact I don't remember the last time I've had anything but a quick bite. Bouncing around streams makes you lose all sense of time." The teen shrugged as the brunette giggled. "I know, it's ironic as fuck."

"What do you feel like?" Max softly asked. The concern in her deep blue eyes felt abundantly personal. Des had seen that look many times, of course, but it always made her feel safe and cared for.

"Would kill for a pizza, I mean that almost literally."

"Oh, that's a great idea! There's a new place just down the road from home that Chloe and I have been dying to try."

Des nodded, agreeing with the choice; getting a full meal might help her situation and recharge her abilities. The two leaned over Max's phone as the photographer looked up the restaurant, making sure it was open as it was still a little early. The women spent the next five minutes figuring out what each wanted to eat and placing their orders online, the brunette adding a meal for her wife automatically.

Chloe, now cleaned up, joined the two. "You badass ladies ready?" The tall woman stood in front of them, bag in hand. She wore faded jeans and a plain short-sleeved t-shirt that showed off her full tattoo. Around her neck hung the bullet necklace that was her only real artifact of her past life. While the woman had matured and with Max and the dojo's help put to rest the shit she'd been through, Chloe couldn't bring herself to remove this one keepsake. It reminded her that she'd survived it all and gave her strength. Each bullet she'd dedicated to the three people that had been lost to her forever: her Dad, Mom, and Rachel.

"Yup! Let's go. Des, here, has a hella story to tell."

The two stood up and together the ladies bowed out of the dojo and walked around the block to Chloe's deep blue Model 3 Tesla. The car was new enough that it still had the temporary registration taped to the back window. Max seated herself in the front passenger side and turned on some tunes, while the bluenette placed her bag in the truck. Des, took over the whole back seat, placing her backpack next to her, buckled in, and leaned her head back, closing her eyes; the comfortable soft leather seats helped her relax.

Almost immediately, an extreme sense of vertigo caused the young woman's head to spin; she'd felt this way before and recognized the signs. She was glitching, though the girl didn't understand why after so many time streams it would happen now, especially since arriving here her powers had taken a vacation. A noise, starting as a ringing in her ears grew louder until it was the only thing the teen could hear. Des opened her eyes to see the world fade to grey and then go completely blank. She blinked, but there wasn't a difference between them being opened or closed. The red-and-blonde-haired teen stared at the nothingness for an undetermined amount of time. Her senses of its ebb and flow were still missing, and yet she felt something had changed, like having a memory just on the edge of recollection and when focusing on it too much made it fade away once again.

Still with her eyes closed the girl could feel her body's momentum shift, like the car she was in had started to move. Des cautiously opened her eyes to see the world around her once again. Chloe had just pulled out into the street and turned the corner.

"You okay, Des?" Max had turned around and was looking at the teen.

"I… uh… no, it's… nothing. Must have dozed off for a second. I dunno."

"Okay. We'll be at the pizza place in about ten minutes. Why don't you rest and enjoy the ride?"

_I don't even remember Chloe closing the trunk or getting in the car. What the hell is going on?_

Chloe, driving, pulled the vehicle up to a corner's stoplight, the intersection just down the road from the martial arts studio. The light was red, and a pedestrian was just passing in front of them.

From Des's perspective, time once again slowed to a crawl as the man walking in front of them stopped and turned towards the vehicle. She recognized the grungy attire and realized it was the same person that had been laying in the alleyway between the buildings. Chuck's accomplice had apparently not been taken in by the police, and now it looked like he meant trouble with a capital 'T' as he raised his hand and pointed a gun directly at the blue-haired driver. A number of things happened almost simultaneously.

A brilliant flash erupted from the muzzle, sending a heavy slug towards the front of the car at point-blank range.

"Chloe! Look out!" From between the two front seats, Des reached to grab the bluenette's shoulder, attempting to get her down and out of the way.

And then time stopped completely. Max sat there with her arm raised and a furious look in her eye focused on the criminal that had dared threaten her wife. The freckled woman looked over as Des released her blue-haired mom and set her gently in the shorter woman's lap.

She couldn't help herself and smirked. "Good timing, Mom, uh… Max."

A small smile calmed the furor on the brunette's face, and while she didn't release her hold on time, she was curious and so asked the teen a question. "How am I doing this?"

"Beats the heck out of me." Des shrugged. "You just can, like me and Chloe. You told me once there's some sort of sweet spot in your mind, but I guess since you did this instinctually you probably haven't discovered that yet."

"Huh." She paused, thought for a second, then continued. "And if time is stopped, I guess that means you're immune?"

"Yup. We're all immune if we activate our powers and work together." The teen looked down at the mom laying on Max's lap. "And before you ask, no, she won't remember a thing."

With her arm still raised, the brunette pointed at their would-be murderer. "And him?"

"He can rot in hell for all I care." Des looked closely at Chuck's accomplice and then beyond him to a curious, black-and-white pixelated background. It was as if the very ground behind the man as far as the teen could see was dissolving, the effect growing more pronounced with distance. "From the looks of it, he's about to go there anyway. This time stream is ending right fucking now."

"What!? Like right now?" Max almost lost her concentration and dropped her arm.

"I can feel it again. It's time, literally. I can get you and Mom out, but we need to be really damn quick about it."

"Uh… okay. What do I do?" A small drop of blood dripped from the woman's nose and landed on Chloe's cheek. "Fuck! I don't think I can hold this much longer."

"You need to drop the time-block and I need to jump with both of you. Simple as that."

"Yeah. I can do that." Max looked at the love of her life and wrapped a free arm around the woman. "Want me to count it down?"

"Uh huh." Des grabbed both ladies and prepared herself.

"On three!"

The teen nodded. This was going to be close.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

Simultaneously, Max dropped her arm and concentration. The bullet impacted the windshield a fraction of a second later, slammed into and through the driver's seat, embedding itself in the rear decking.

The projectile missed because there was no one left in the car.

Then, just like the bullet shattering the glass at the front of the car, the time stream fragmented, splintering into an infinite set of pieces, and was destroyed by the all-consuming demon called entropy.

Time stream number 6201 disappeared as if it never existed. Another successful rescue, only a couple million left to go.


	23. Navigating by Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing the blizzard of writing activity as we get closer to the finish. Hope you all enjoy!  
> Thanks again goes to the folks helping me beta these chapters. Aspect, Adder, and Clarx, you all contribute so much to making the story better, and I am deeply in your debt.

**Number 692,233**  
**June 17 th, 2027**  
**Joint NASA/Space X Command Center**  
**Cape Canaveral, FL**

_< Downrange tracking, begin COMMS check.>_

_< Control, this is tracking Bermuda, COMMS check.>_

_< Bermuda Tracking, Control reads. Thank you.>_

_< Red leader standing by…>_

_< UK, Control. Cut the chatter and maintain proper protocol!>_

_< Roger, boss-control-lady.>_

_< UK, I'm warning you, knock it off! God you're such a nerd!>_

_< Fine… Control, Tracking UK, COMMS check.>_

_< Thank you, UK Tracking, Control reads.>_

…

I sat in the custom-fitted chair listening to the pre-launch chatter and thought back on all the fucking difficult times I'd been through that lead to this moment. This was the day I've been working so long to get to, and yet I know it's only another step along the path of _The Plan™_ ; just the circumstances were a little different than either Max or I had guessed. Up until now it had all been study, study, study since that fateful week back in 2013, when Max walked back into my life, another one of those completely unexpected turns of events. Honestly, I never thought I'd see my dorky, freckled First Mate again; by then we’d completely lost touch for over three years.

 _"Max, what's happened up there?"_ I whispered her name under my breath, hoping the helmet's mic didn't pick up the sound. I didn't need Control, or the Doc, thinking I didn't have my head in the game today.

< _Commander Price, we're seeing elevated heart rates here, everything okay? > _

Guess I was wrong, because as usual, Doctor Kate Marsh was on the ball. Shit, I didn't even have to worry about what folks heard. Being hooked up to so many different wires, they could probably have measured all my brain activity and put it together into some form of mind reading. All they'd find is a picture of my brilliant and hella sexy girlfriend. _Fuck yeah, they would!_

"I'm good, Doc, thanks. Just thinking out loud."

_< Understood. Just focus on the mission. We'll get her back.>_

"Roger."

 _Focus… riiiiiiiiight… no fucking chance when all I can think of is Max._ I flexed my fingers in the gauntlet of the suit I wore, gripped the chair's rest, and tried to clear my mind again. I concentrated on how each finger felt in the glove, the forces I was applying, and how the command module's seat pushed back. It was a technique to reduce stress that I'd picked up from therapy a fucking long time ago after my best friend and I reconnected. Thinking about that time still brought chills that Doc Kate would probably see on her monitors. My little cutie showed up on my doorstep one October with confidence I'd never seen; the nerd brought with her a story about why she'd not contacted me in so long.

It was all about _The Plan™_. She explained how she'd doubled down on her education, earning not just her high school diploma, but a mathematics degree from the University of Washington. At the time, I thought it was absolute bullshit; she'd always hated _Fucking Math™_ to a level that rivaled my anger towards her ghosting me for three years.

I remember inviting her in even though I totally didn't believe her lies. The way she held herself, like she knew exactly what she was doing, put a seed of doubt in my own mind about my assessment. So I heard her out while we sat on opposite sides of mom's couch.

First, to show she wasn't fibbing, she pulled out of her bag a document that looked like a degree from college. I wasn't much of an expert regarding education, having dropped out of Blackwell, but it certainly looked like the real deal. Next up, she showed me some of the photos her dad had taken during graduation the previous May. There she'd been, in her robes, up at the podium receiving her diploma and shaking hands with the dean, and another one as she faced the crowd, displaying both her diploma in one hand, and a sign in another.

_For Chloe,_  
_I'm coming home._

It could have all been staged, a setup for a reason I couldn't imagine; there was no way someone, not even Max, would sacrifice themselves for the piece of garbage I'd thought of myself at the time. Yet, everything she showed me was carefully chosen to be incontrovertible. Then, while I stared at her smiling, confident face, she dropped the impossible book on the coffee table.

"What's this?" I remember asking.

"Open it, Captain Bluebeard, the safety of our ship and crew depend on it."

Pirates… Captain Bluebeard… she hadn't forgotten our past like I thought she had. It made my curiosity best my skepticism, so I did what the First Mate suggested and read the first page.

It completely changed my life.

Max,

Time is broken and it all involves you and your blue haired Captain. It's difficult to explain, but you need to prepare yourself for a shit ton of work. Timing, ironically, is important this go-around, but if you want to save Chloe, you must break contact with her completely. It'll hurt more than anything in both your lives, believe me I fucking know how much and I really wish there were another way. For reasons we don't yet understand, nothing else has worked.

I know you're only 15 years old, but if there ever was a time to grow up and take a leap of faith, it's now First Mate.

Sincerely,

Your best friend forever.

Chloe.

P.S. Read on for more details.

I remember sitting there stunned and trying to figure out how she had so perfectly matched my handwriting.  


_< Control, this is meteorology. Skies are clear, visibility unlimited. Shear speed 110kmh.>_

I took a deep breath, shook my head to get back to the present, and looked around the capsule's interior. It was reconfigured for a single human occupant so emergency supplies could take up the bulk of the mass usually reserved for two additional crew. The sleek, smooth white lines of the interior were only broken by the touch screen displays of controls and telemetry, my command seat, and the main external view which was currently shuttered for launch. I'd seen this exact same interior hundreds of times in the simulator. Both of us were supposed to have been on the same flight, but illness had grounded the backup team. So they split the mission into two and I was relegated to backup while I awaited the next launch window in twelve days. And now here I am only five days after Max landed. It's not exactly how I'd envisioned my first flight, but I'd made it abundantly clear to Victoria that if anyone were going to find out what was happening on the moon base, it would be me; I even gave her the trajectory plan that I'd worked up to deal with the unscheduled nature of the launch. Luckily, as head of flight operations, Vic agreed without any argument. My numbers beat the eggheads that get paid to figure this shit out. In space launches, every percentage counts. Patting myself on the back, however, took a second seat to my concerns for Max.

_< Commander Price, Control. We're about ready here, prepare for internal power. T minus ten minutes and counting.>_

"Control, get me the hell up there!"

 _< Acknowledged, Price. Don't worry, we'll get her back.>_ That was Victoria's voice.

 _< You got this, Chloe, just relax and focus.>_ And Kate's.

"Thanks, guys. I'm just worried sick, ya know?"

I heard a couple of clicks over my earpiece, and then another voice came over the comm, one that I didn't expect; he must have burned some favors.

_< Go do it and come back to us, you hear? Your Mom and I are proud of you, Chloe, and I know Max's parents would be saying the same thing.>_

Funny how much I appreciate David now, since we both got over our mutual issues. Thanks again to Max, he'd gone from step-douche to earning the right for me to actually call him by his name, or even stepdad although the latter only on the holidays. Joking aside, we'd buried the hatchet between us the day Max's parents died, a month after we'd gotten back together; the news nearly destroyed her. Now with Mom being the closest person my freckled better half had to a parent, the conflict between myself and David all felt a little juvenile. Nothing like major life events and _Bad Fucking Things™_ to put matters into perspective.

"Roger."

_< T minus 5 minutes and counting.>_

_< Control, Flight Systems. The tanks are warm.>_

_< Ground team, Control. Gantry retraction.>_

_< …chatter… chatter… chatter… >_

I closed my eyes and listened to the final preparations. Soon, I'd be headed on a three-day flight that would hopefully drop me in Max's lap.

* * *

**Number 692,233**  
**June 14 th, 2027**  
**Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility)**  
**Arcadia Base**

_< Max…>_

_< Max…>_

_< MAX!!!>_

I woke up with a start as Molly increased the volume almost to the point of giving me a concussion which would have been counter-productive to the goal of getting me out of bed.

Sitting up, still covered in the light blanket that was attached with Velcro to my legs, waist, and chest, I rubbed my eyes. The viewports were shuttered and the lights were dimmed, creating an artificial twilight in the room; a very important thing to keep one's internal clock in rhythm. With a twenty-seven-day rotation, you couldn't rely on the rise or fall of the sun like you could back on Earth. I rubbed my eyes, stuck a finger in one ear to try to stop the ringing, and shook my head to get the blood flowing more normally. Partial gravity has all sorts of interesting biological effects on humans never intended for the environment. I think I recall ' _Shake Head_ ' being S.O.P. 13.1, _Standard Operating Procedure_ otherwise known as the Human User's Manual while living off-planet.

I rolled out of bed and, in the .17 gee, lightly fell to the floor. I enjoyed doing this and not getting hurt as I've done so many times in the past back home. It's one of the perks of my mission and it makes you feel almost super-human. Yes, you have to watch your own strength when doing things because inertia is still fucking real and doesn't mind crushing the careless folks like bugs. So, I pushed up lightly while remaining otherwise rigid and like a plank, pivoted until I was standing on my own two feet. Now back in an upright position, I peeled the blanket off its anchor tabs with a rip, folded it, and placed it into its container at the foot of the bed. That's another thing about being on the Moon, everything needs to get put away properly because sometimes air currents are enough to relocate normally too-heavy-on-earth objects; they literally walk away by themselves.

"What is it, Molly?" I asked. The ringing in my ears had leveled off as I started moving about the room.

_< Array two, antenna twenty-three has picked up a reading. You told me to contact you immediately if there were any signals out of the expected ranges.>_

"And deafening me with a sonic boom was the best way to get my attention?" I smiled and could almost hear the hesitation in my computer's response.

_< I… uhm… you didn't respond when I asked quietly. I tried repeatedly… sorry.>_

"It's okay, Mol. You're new at this, so no hard feelings. No harm. Now if you will excuse me, I have to pee. I'll be down on the main deck in nine minutes."

_< Acknowledged, Doctor Caulfield. I'll have the coffee ready.>_

In my mind, I thanked the powers-that-be, mainly the engineering team, for small favors and the extra mass capacity they'd found on my outbound flight. It was nice that I'd been able to bring a couple of personal items for the ride, and that included the five kilos of ground Kona coffee Chloe had secretly stowed away in the supplies just for me.

 _She's always watching out for me._ I smiled at the thought.

I strode slowly, like almost bunny-hopping, over to my quarter's toilet facilities and carefully arranged myself, suction included, to relieve myself, then, once done, went about my morning rituals. Teeth brushed, I reflexively set about dealing with my hair, only to realize it was cut short just prior to the mission; something I wasn't used to yet. It was very practical. I couldn't imagine having to deal with the longer hair and bangs; in low-grav, it would be everywhere to the point that I'd have to tie it up or wear a hat anyway. Just part of the job, plus Chloe couldn't get over how badass it made me look. I smiled again. _Badass babe!_ Those were her actual words.

I was ready for the day, so left my quarters, the automatic door shooshing as I walked carefully down the corridor. While there was room for two people abreast in the brightly lit, white, tube-like hallway, common courtesy between the other occupants would have one stop and hold on to the side rails while another would pass. Rank, it seems, has its privileges because even though I'm a civilian, everyone here understands who's running the show. I don't mind patting myself on the back for this one, the project is my baby and everyone knows it. It doesn't really matter for now, because at the moment I have the whole place to myself since Warren and the rest of the crew is away setting up the third array at the smaller complex. It will be four days before they return, and that gives me plenty of time to run some of the more interesting experiments and not be interrupted.

_I wish Chloe were here._

While I navigated the corridor, I could hear the light humming of air conditioning and life support systems keeping this little biosphere healthy and safe for its occupants. It was a rare occurrence that I even took note of it, which was usually during my twice-daily evaluation of the systems. Today, though, seems different. There's something I can't quite put my finger on, like a slight change in the overall air-pressure. It's probably just an adjustment, but the site seems just a bit… off. Maybe it's just how I was woken up.

Shaking my head at the recollection, I sigh. Molly is one of my coolest accomplishments, a true first-gen A.I. I call her ' _she_ ' because that's how the algorithm has developed and evolved. Considering a certain blue-haired girlfriend broke into my system and added a bunch of code, it's not surprising that the computer acts like a late-teen girl. I even once caught Molly swearing; she's got attitude. All considered though, the self-improving neural net is updating itself nicely, but she still needs a lot of experience, especially when interacting with humans.

"Molly," I called out, "is there something going on with life support?"

_< The monitors noticed a slight increase in air pressure, it tripped the internal compensators. The change occurred two and a half seconds after the array spiked.>_

_Weird, that shouldn't happen_. I made a mental note to review the logs; since we're in the vacuum of space, there shouldn't be any way to add air to the system. Being in a self-sustaining biosphere, the balance between HnA section, Hydroponics and Agriculture in laywoman's speak, and the rest of the facility is carefully controlled because it produces our oxygen, scrubs the CO2, keeping the entire station breathable indefinitely. My main degrees are in astro and relativistic physics with supporting ones in math, A.I. and mechanical engineering; in other words, what I needed for _The Plan™_. I knew enough about the systems to maintain them, but otherwise Molly, Warren, and the rest of the team did the heavy lifting for most of the facility.

"You said this happened just after the anomaly detection?"

_< Yes, Max. Are they related? I didn't think so at the time considering the array is supposed to be searching for tachyon flux.>_

"I don't believe so…" I was about halfway to the main control room when I stopped walking, letting a bizarre thought passed through my head; It made me want to double check. "Wait. Run a level three diag. on the whole life-support system and toss the results to my workstation."

_< On it. I probably should have predicted this request. Sorry for letting you down, Max.>_

"Molly, you know I don't hold it against you. You're still squeaky-new at all of this. You'll learn." I knew I was talking to a computer, but I still felt bad for her. Afterall, eventually she'd be so close to acting human, or more, that I couldn't help but thinking of her as just another person communicating through the comms. "Cheer up, together we may be on to something."

I continued my careful bunny-hop walk for the next minutes all the way to the control center without another word, listening to the slightly off ticks and whirr of the ventilation system. Once again, upon approach, the entry shooshed it's way open, and I moved inside. It automatically closed behind me and I couldn't help but giggle. _That never gets old; it's just like those old Star Trek shows._

_< The results are on your monitor, Doctor Caulfield.>_

I looked at my desk in the back row of the semicircular room. It wasn't as much a desk as it was an entire bench or platform. It was placed on a raised partition behind all the other stations and looked out onto the moonscape beyond through enormous auto-polarizing crystal windows that were ten centimeters thick. The coating on the interior of the panes allowed the viewport to double as a projection screen and I watched telemetry and station status continuously change as I made my way to the seat behind my station. The seat, a wonder of technology itself, automatically gripped a person's butt via strategically placed Velcro in the seat of my standard-issue pants so it felt for all intents like I was sitting normally. The chair also ran along a rail that curved in parallel with my workspace. I could scoot from one end to the other without having to worry about inertia or gravity just like I was back in the office at home.

I sat down and felt the latching fabric take hold and looked across the room of vacant workstations. Normally the place would be a buzz of activity, at least that's what I imagined. We were the first crew here and I was the only civilian until the next flight arrived; the station itself was effectively as brand new as Molly. The only reason I was here at all is that my experiments were time critical and I happened to be the only person in the world, with the exception of Chloe, who could do the work. The fact that I had helped design major portions of the computer system known as Molly and knew almost everything about the station just helped get us the approval from the government to put me up here early. Hell, some of the military folks even saluted me.

A light was blinking on the center dais, so I pushed my way over to the center of my bench and brought up the screen. As promised, rows of data scrolled up and finished with a small summary Molly had put together. _Interesting._

"Mol, put this on the big screen, please."

My monitor blanked as the data was reproduced against the main windows; their special coating allowing them to be used both to look out onto the cratered surface beyond as well as a computer heads-up display. I pulled out a laser pointer and circled one of her conclusions.

"Displacement? In the air? We haven't taken on any new cargo from the automated launches, have we? I thought those were all scheduled."

_< No, Doctor Caulfield, we haven't received an unexpected Amazon Universal delivery, if that's what you mean.>_

It was a joke. I could tell the computer was trying, maybe a little too hard, to be funny. It's cute, really, like watching a kid turn into a teen. They try so hard to be what they think you want them to be. I encouraged that kind of behavior, so I giggled out loud.

"That's pretty funny, Mol." I laughed again. "So none of NASA's supply rockets dropped anything off?"

_< None at all. The next one is scheduled for six days from now.>_

"More and more curious." Thinking about the computer's assertions and the facts on the screen for a moment, I shrugged, accepting her conclusions without a bias. "Okay, so if it's air displacement, how much volume are we talking about?"

_< Approximately fourteen hundred cubic centimeters originating in section seven, cargo bay two.>_

That was where the gear I'd brought for the experiment was located. I thought about that for a couple of moments and tapped a few numbers into the computer in front of me.

"Hmmm, four hundred… that's about the size of one small container…" It had to be an unscheduled rocket; I couldn't think of anything else that fit the facts. Again, the balances here at the station are carefully planned, usually a cargo-drop would be booked in advance to allow time for the systems to compensate. Clearly that didn't happen and it had put the facility at risk. Sure, it is a good test of the redundancies, but we would have been informed, nonetheless.

"It says here," I tapped a few more keys and then sent the graph onto the large screen, "that none of the robots moved or sorted anything into storage. Without jumping to conclusions, I'd say we've had a cascading failure in the entire receiving system."

_< That does sound reasonable.>_

"Okay, then I'm going to have to go down there. First, though, show me the data on the array."

Numbers started appearing on the main view screen along with a diagram of the sensor schematics. One of the elements was blinking. Just like Molly said, number twenty-three was flashing and the data, marked with unique telemetry labels, indicated an alpha level surge of tachyon activity.

"I wonder why," I thought out loud, "the other ones didn't pick this up? I mean, the strength is two orders of magnitude higher than the baseline we established. And the data stream doesn't show any error codes." I pulled up the sensor's source and started hunting for the function that produced this series of flags.

_< Unknown, Max. At least for now.>_

I knew this particular system like the back of my own hand since me and Chloe had designed and built it. Being part of the experiment I was running; its purpose was to track and hopefully manipulate the mechanics of time. I was following through on one of the final entries in the impossible journal and it would jump _The Plan™_ centuries ahead technologically if it worked out. I came upon the block of code and it had a little comment right above it.

/*  
Yo Max!  
If you hit this piece of code it means your theory works out far  
beyond what either of us thought possible. This is epic shit, babe!  
  
Congratulations.  
  
\--Chloe  
*/

I smiled after reading the words. Chloe was always placing little notes around our apartment, in my books, pockets, and lots of other places. She'd been in charge of the experiment's firmware and the build process so apparently she'd also found a way to inject some harmless comments into the source tree without me knowing. I love how she's always motivating me and making me feel like the most important person in the world. Even when times were tough, she'd always have room to crack a joke and make me laugh. _God I love that woman!_ The thought reminded me that we'd be seeing each other in a bit under two weeks when her launch was scheduled, and that I had a special gift for her and an even more special question to ask. Sure, it would have been totally awesomesauce if I'd been able to ask her to marry me the first day we'd set foot on the Moon. I'd even picked out a special place along the crater's ridge that had the perfect view of Earth's blue orb hanging just above the horizon on that specific evening. I'd give her the world; literally. Sadly, our backup team all got sick all at once, and so Chloe had been slotted in instead of joining me on my flight. While I wouldn't have anyone else watching my back, I did miss her tremendously, and she should be here to see what we've found. Of course I'll catch her up when she arrives, but it's just not the same as being here for the initial discoveries.

After examining the entire data stream for a couple of hours, double checking it for errors, it seemed that my best friend was exactly right. While only one sensor had captured the event, the information it produced had all the hallmarks of supporting my hypothesis. "Looks like it works, Mol. The system seems to have tracked a tachyon as it tunneled forward into the present. The only odd thing is that none of the array's other elements saw it. I'll have to adjust for that."

_< It's probable that the reverb echo could be useful.>_

The computer had a point. One of the most basic aspects of our universe is the concept of action and reaction, cause and effect. Nothing, not even time, is excepted from that core principle. If we were actually tracking a forward tachyon burst, we should see a series of inverted signals that add up to exactly the strength of the original event. Timing, literally, would be important.

I did a number of calculations in my head. "Given the strength we observed, we should expect array one to pick up the first wave in a little less than an hour. Check my math, would you please, Molly?"

Almost instantly, the computer responded. _< It works out, Doctor Caulfield. Fifty-seven minutes.>_

"Thanks, Mol. Okay, that is exciting, and it gives us time to investigate bay two. Remind me in about forty minutes; I totally want to watch it live."

_< Understood. I'll let you know. Do we want to transmit our findings?>_

As much as I wanted to send a message home, especially to Chloe, the perfectionist in me resisted. "Not yet; we should get the results of the reverb first. Don't want to announce to everyone that we've made a breakthrough of this magnitude without being sure."

_< Very well.>_

I pressed a few more keys to shut down the main viewer and locked my workstation, not that it mattered when no one was around. Habit, I guess. Then I pushed off and rode my chair all the way to the edge of the console nearest the doorway. Releasing myself from the attractive grip of the loop and hook fabric, I bounced my way towards the exit.

"Alright, Mol. I'm gonna go check the cargo section. It's probably just a bug in the system, but it's weird that it happened to coincide with the array's detection."

_< Do you have any instructions? Or should I just surf some porn while I wait for you to return?>_

I think I laughed out loud and almost tripped over my own two feet. _Chloe Elizabeth Price_ , and yeah, I just middle-named her! Only my still-punk better half would have thrown an easter-egg like that into Molly's matrix. I'd have to thank her when she shows up, in a special way. _Dog! I wish she were here to see this._ It was fucking hilarious because Molly probably had no idea where that particular idea had cropped up. I wonder how it's going to change the A.I.'s behavior in the long run.

"Molly!" I was admonishing her like a parent to a teen, but I really didn't want to obstruct the computer's personality development, so I let her speak.

_< I… uhm… don't know why I said that, Max… I mean… Doctor Caulfield…>_

I waited for the virtual persona that was our station's computer to continue.

 _< Uh… I have no idea what porn is besides the… mmm… definition… okay… websites… uhhhh. Oh!>_ There was a slight pause. _< Really? You humans enjoy that? Why would I say what I did?>_

After regaining my composure and balance, I grabbed a handhold and made my way down the corridor while Molly sputtered and tried to get a grip on her thought processes. She followed me, switching terminals while I moved towards the dark side of the station where the cargo bays were located.

 _< … I mean… It's not like I'm human…>_ She continued. _< I know I'm just a computer, and a brand new one at that. Why would I care about… >_

Molly paused as I looped around a corner and entered the elevator shaft.

_< Oh my God! Why would… wait… oh… uhmm… wow… I guess… uh… there sure is a lot to look at…>_

I couldn't help but laugh again. Personality wise, Molly was a late teen in attitude, but just a youngster in life experience. I felt like a parent that was going to have _The Talk™_ with her about the birds and the bees, and yet being robbed of the opportunity due to the world-wide-web of images and smut available at the click of a key; everything a young and budding A.I. needed. I shook my head again and failed to hide the smirk on my face.

"How you doing, Slugger? Find anything that interests you?" I couldn't help but tease her a little bit; it was the least I could do. "My my you've grown up a lot in the past ten minutes. Hmm?"

_< Can we switch topics, please?>_

"Of course, Mol. I don't want to be a… dick about it." I grabbed another handhold and then launched myself in the low-grav away from the closest terminal all the while giggling like a school-aged girl. At the corridor's intersection, I met up with her occupying the next closest screen, showing only a graphic of a hand presenting a specific mid-digit. The camera above the screen swiveled and tracked me as I approached.

_< Really, Doctor Caulfield? You just had to, right?>_

I snickered again as I pivoted around the corner. Looking back at the screen, I shrugged. "Oh, come on, Molly, that was funny. You've still got a lot to learn, and it's my duty to… _expose_ you to all kinds of different experiences. Including puns and innuendoes."

I listened to the speaker, hearing a very human groan at my last comment. Another point for me. While this was fun, I probably should let her off the hook. I'll need her to be clear headed when I get to the cargo bay.

_< God! That one was really bad, Max.>_

"Alright, alright. I'll stop, at least for now."

_< Thank you.>_

I was approaching the section bulkhead, one of the large airlocks that separated the modular bodies of the facility from another. It was closed on both sides, as per regulation, in case of emergency decompression so I waited in front of it while the A.I. started the process of cycling the chamber.

_< Pressure equalized, Max. We're green to proceed.>_

"Thanks, Mol. Open the hatch, please."

_< Opening now.>_

Through my feet I could feel the hum of electric motors begin to slide the heavy doorway open. It was a slow process and also part of the station's design. In a real emergency, where air would be rushing out like a hurricane, snapping the door closed quickly would be like stepping out in front of a speeding train. The inertia of the wind's force, all hundred-plus kilopascals, would buckle the door's frame and thus defeat the purpose the airlock provided.

Two years ago, while I was still training for my current mission, we'd lost a dozen people due to that design mistake, including Chloe's friend Rachel. I shivered as I remembered the pictures of the engineer's lifeless body, perfectly preserved in the vacuum of space for the year it took to cobble together a rescue mission. My beautiful girlfriend's grief almost killed her, and she had refused to leave the closed coffin's side, standing guard over it in her full-dress United States Space Corps uniform until it had been interred. All I could do at the time was support her any way possible. It was a fucked-up time, for sure.

 _Shit, I need to focus!_ I shook my head to clear away the past and continued onward. I passed into the chamber and waited for the door to close and the far side to open. All the while I was wondering what we'd find. There had to be an explanation for the pressure increase, but no ideas came to mind.

_< Your guess is as good as mine, Max. It doesn't make sense.>_

Heh heh. I must have been thinking out loud. The door finished cycling and I entered a very different environment. I was at a tee intersection where the corridor stretched to both sides as far as I could see. Directly in front of me, and evenly spaced down its length, was a large window into the closest cargo bay. I could see the mostly automated facility move and sort various containers and place them on shelves or whisk them away to different parts of the station. Conveyors carried parts to bins, bins were placed on shelves, or other conveyors, and robot arms moved in a dance that you'd swear had a pattern if you paid careful attention. I could see walkways and gantries outlined in yellow-hashed caution markers, the safe zone for humans; crossing the barrier could lead to injury, or worse, like being stuffed into a box and sent to the compost facilities. I remember a training video that showed a very graphic simulation of just that type of event; I don't need to be told twice.

"Molly," I addressed the overhead monitor, "can you bring up the map of the area and show me which sensor was tripped?"

<Sure thing, boss.>

I smiled at that, thinking about how much fun it was going to be watching Molly evolve into her full potential. Moments later a detailed map of the section displayed, followed seconds later by a pulsing yellow dot on the left-hand side, and a ' _You Are Here_ ' arrow indicating my position on the right. A faint dashed path indicated the direction to follow. I oriented my body and started walking. This side of the station had been upgraded with magnetic flooring which made my standard issue footwear stick to the ground as if I were at home. In the more industrial sections, this was a good investment as it was important to be able to more precisely control your movements to avoid injury. Eventually, the entire facility would get this change.

I strolled along the corridor looking for the bay where the sensor had tripped. I passed more large windows which looked out to the landing pad facility where the automated supply drops arrived. All the machinery stood immobile and the approach lights were off; again we didn't expect a shipment until next week. I stopped for a moment to gaze beyond the boundary of the work area and marveled at the view of the lunar surface. It was a sight I'd seen hundreds of times before but would never get old.

I leaned onto the window's sill, propping myself by my elbows and setting my chin on my hand. I sighed as I thought back to the amazing series of events that landed me on the Moon. "Molly? How did I manage to get here? I still can't believe it."

_< A lot of hard work and Fucking Math™ is what you've always said.>_

"Yeah. I just hope it pays off. I mean, I have proof that _The Plan™_ is real, but it still blows my mind sometimes."

_< It will, presuming your current experiment works out.>_

She was right. "Imagine being able to send a message to another parallel timestream. I mean, it could totally change how we tackle the problem in a very fundamental way. We could get hundreds of streams working simultaneously to advance the technology and building centuries of knowledge in the blink of an eye."

_< But didn't someone already do that?>_

"Sorta, if I understand how I got the book in the first place."

I thought back to how I'd been brought into _The Plan™_ in the first place. The journal, it seemed, had just been sitting there the whole time right under my nose. When I first noticed it, I remember thinking about how I'd missed it for so long; like it was hiding in plain sight. Having discovered it nestled in my bag's secondary sleeve a couple of years after I'd moved to Seattle, I'd apparently never spotted it. Nowadays, and many thousands of hours of education later, it was clear the book's location had been carefully planned and placed years in advance, taking advantage of the time-sync and displacement theorem I'd learned about later.

"The technique, though, is pretty slow, hopping from one timestream to the next in series. If I'm right, we'll be able to accelerate the process enormously."

_< Parallel processing, like a computer.>_

"Uh huh." I pushed away from the window and continued onward through a number of hallways and corners until I reached the corridor that led to my destination. Molly and I had been keeping up the chatter, talking about the variables I'd accounted for in my currently running experiment. I was happy to see that she was taking an interest and the computer asked a number of questions I hadn't heard before.

"…so you see, if you take into account the background motion, which we already established causes local dilation of spacetime, you end up with a measurement that is purely due to the drift of a tachyon."

The A.I. was silent for a second. _< This is an indirect way to measure a tachyon.>_

I nodded my head while I continued my walk. "Exactly! Currently we can't observe one directly, but its effects are directly proportional to the new metrics. It takes us one step closer to understanding its nature as well as the path such a particle follows."

_< If that's true, then its…>_

That's when the lights in the facility went out.

"Mol, what the fuck?"

… silence …

"Molly?" I whispered tentatively and then strained to hear any sign of the computer.

… silence …

The darkness was complete; I couldn't even see my hand right in front of my face.

_Oh fuck fuck fuck!_


End file.
